From Another World (Xenoblade Chronicles)
by RandomAdventures
Summary: I suddenly enter the game of Xenoblade Chronicles and have to beat it to get out.
1. Chapter 1

From Another World

Chapter 1

 **A Xenoblade Chronicles fanfiction! A SI, because... well... there aren't that many Xenoblade fanfics in general... just don't expect me to update this a lot and this will work just fine...**

Alvis was alone in Alcamoth, simply thinking. Suddenly, a slight pain struck Alvis, and he blinked as it soon wore away.

"This future will be much different..." he mused. "How interesting. Someone will change the future heavily... and aid _him_..."

Meanwhile, I opened my eyes. Looking around myself, I saw grass around me, and sighed. _I'm so tired..._ I thought.

"Hey!" I heard Shulk's voice, which confused me. No matter how much Shulk declared it was his time, he was just a video gamer character, right?

I turned my head to find the future wielder of the Monado before me. _Oh..._ I thought. _Am I really in Xenoblade Chronicles? If I am, I..._

"Here, take my hand." Shulk offered his hand, which I took, and rose slowly to my feet. "Hey... where you were lying, there's a sword."

I turned around, and saw a simple claymore. "Oh. Thanks." I grabbed the blade, and it adjusted easily on my back, with straps that were NOT there before. I was wearing a simple red short sleeved shirt with black shorts. _This is weird..._ I thought.

Shulk grinned. "The name's Shulk," he told me. "If you don't mind... what's your name?" he asked.

I blinked. "Oh, I'm Andrew," I replied. Shulk nodded. "Wait a second... this is..." I paused. _Do NOT give spoilers to Shulk..._ I thought.

Shulk turned. "Machine armour!" he exclaimed, instantly dashing over to attempt to pry it off. "If I get this off... it would make a perfect shield!"

 _Is this after the Battle of Sword Valley?_ I thought as I watched Shulk try taking the armour off. I grunted as the armour moved, and Shulk was thrown back. _Let's see..._ I mused. _Reyn should be here... like..._

I heard panting, and Reyn ran before the Krabble that was about to attack Shulk, shoving it away. I walked over and drew my sword.

"You okay, Shulk?!" exclaimed Reyn as his Driver changed modes. He looked behind him at me. "Also, who are you?"

"He's Andrew," grunted Shulk, getting up and drawing his Junk Sword. "I'm fine, Reyn. Andrew, can you fight?"

"Yeah," I mused. _I've pretended to use a sword before, guess its time to see if I can fight..._ "Let's go!" We all ran forward.

The Krabble rushed for Shulk, but Reyn shoved it back again. "Ain't no way that's gonna happen!" he declared.

I blinked, before swinging at the Krabble. Shulk swung once before moving to the back of the creature. "Back Slash!" he yelled.

The Krabble groaned, before collapsing, dead, from Shulk's Art. "That went well," grunted Reyn.

I looked around. "You can't calm down yet," I warned. "There's another one! It looks a lot bigger, too!"

Shulk grunted. "With all three of us, there's no way it'll beat us!" He led us to battle the second Krabble.

Reyn grunted, racing ahead of his friend, and slammed his Driver into the Krabble. "Shulk! Andrew! Go!"

I nodded, and thought of an attack. _Xenoblade logic..._ I thought. _The only way this could be more effective then my normal swings..._ "Rah!" I stabbed the Krabble with one hand, aggressively, and forcefully tore out the blade. There was blood dropping from where I had struck.

"Nice!" called Shulk. "That Art should be called Stab Strike, inflicting Bleed! But..." He spun, just like he was about to use his Shaker Edge Art. "Turn Strike!"

"Nice! Now, Wild Down!" As I watched, Reyn inflicted Topple on the Krabble. "Alright, guys! Let's end it!"

Shulk used Back Slash while I swung diagonally in a powerful slash. The Krabble shifted, but now it looked sort of... dizzy.

"A Daze!" Shulk looked thoughtful as he swung his Junk Sword. "That Art... you should call it Cross Slash!"

"Shulk, in battle is not the time to be thinking of new Art names!" grunted Reyn as we all beat up on the Krabble. "War Swing!"

 _Doesn't he get that Art a little later?!_ I thought, getting out of the way of Reyn's wild swing. "Shulk!" I saw Reyn's childhood friend grin.

"Stream Edge!" he shouted, and with a groan, the Krabble fell, dead. We all withdrew our weapons. "Not bad, Andrew."

"Thanks," I replied. "Anyway... Colony 9 is nearby, right?" I asked. Both of them nodded. "Why don't we head there, then?"

"Yeah, whatever," grunted Reyn. He sighed. "I'd better get back, or Square-tache might just force me doing push-ups for forever."

Shulk nodded. "Alright. Andrew and I will head back to the Colony-" But by then, Reyn had already ran back. "Heh."

"Let's go," I sighed. Shulk nodded and began to lead me to Colony 9. I looked around, seeing Bunivs and such everywhere.

"So..." Shulk turned his head slightly as he ran. "Where did you learn to use a sword like that?"

I blinked. "Well... I used to pretend that a stick was a sword," I admitted. "That was when I was really young."

Shulk nodded thoughtfully. "I used to do the same thing, until I started to get coached by Dunban," he told me.

I nodded, and soon we were in Colony 9. _The game makes this place look tame,_ I thought as Shulk and I barely avoided getting crushed to the ground by a small crowd. _Its really busy!_

"It's normally not this busy..." mused Shulk. "Anyway, let's go to the lab! Maybe I can fine-tune that sword of yours!"

"Yay," I deadpanned as I followed him. Soon, we were in front of the lab. "Shulk!" called Dickson, and I flinched.

 _If I tell Shulk Dickson shoots him in the back... well, who'd believe me?_ I thought. _Better keep quiet..._

"Hm..." grunted Dickson. "Well, don't be in the lab for too long, Shulk. You need fresh air."

"I know," he replied, before walking into the lab. "C'mob, Andrew." With that, I was led to the inside of the lab.

I looked around, and instantly noticed the mystical blade. "The Monado," I spoke. _It looks SO cool!_

"Yeah." For a moment Shulk looked confused. "How did you know that it was called that? Dunban used it in the Battle of Sword Valley... do you know that battle?" he asked, looking at me.

"Kind of," I responded. _Oh, no_ _... not giving spoilers? This is going to be the hardest thing ever..._ "He lost the use of his right arm, right?"

Shulk nodded. "From overusing the Monado. Guess he wasn't suited to use it..." Shulk seemed to daydream for a moment.

 _But you... you're suited to wield the Monado, Shulk,_ I thought. "Shulk." I passed him my sword. "Think you can enhance it?"

"Yeah... give me a moment." After a little while, Shulk gave me my sword. Now it looked a lot sharper and more keen. "Like it?"

"Thanks," I responded, placing the sword on my back. "Well... Dickson told you to get some fresh air, right? Where do you think you're gonna go?"

Shulk looked thoughtful for a moment. " _That_ park," he suddenly spoke. "Follow me, I'll lead you to it!" He ran out of the lab.

I cast one more look at the Monado. _I wish I could wield it..._ I then ran after Shulk. "Wait for me!"

 **Yeah! Chapter 1! God... this is going to take SO LONG... eh. Let's see if I can finish this fanfiction in... I don't know, two years? We'll see...**

 **Anyways... thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **I have a lot of followers for this piece... and I kind of don't know why... eh. Here's chapter 2!**

"Alright. I used to play around this park a lot when I was younger," spoke Shulk. "With my other friend, Fiora."

 _No, you don't say,_ I thought. _Well... just so I don't fumble with the story of this game..._ "Who's Fiora?"

"Oh, right. You don't know. Fiona's my childhood friend, like Reyn," smiled Shulk. "She... well... she's a bit overwhelming..."

 _Around you in particular,_ I noted. _Geez... why did it take for her to become a Mechon before he... I'll forget that sentence..._ "I bet."

Shulk grinned. "Anyway... maybe we can practice our Arts," he told me, drawing his Junk Sword. "Want to practice?"

I sighed. "Alright." I grabbed my claymore. "Um... what kind of Arts do you have?" I asked.

"Well... you saw earlier with my Back Slash... Stream Edge... did I show you my Talent Art?" he suddenly spoke.

"I think. Turn Strike, right?" He nodded. _Only logic in this game knows why he can't use that every two seconds..._ "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah. Plus another Art. Light Heal," he declared. "I can get you back on your feet with a little healing from this." He posed.

"I bet..." I snorted in amusement. _Well... I wonder if he has the Shadow Eye Art yet..._ "Got any others?"

He nodded. "Sort of. Shadow Eye is the working name for this Art. I think I need more experience in battle, it's not working very well."

 _You need more Art Points or something... I guess..._ "Well. Let's practice, then! Maybe I can help you develop that Art!"

Shulk sighed. "I don't think so. There needs to be more then just me for it to really work. Shadow Eye lets me lose the enemy's attention and increase the damage I do with my next Art," he explained. "If Reyn or Fiora were here..."

 _It's still beyond me how you haven't hit on her yet, Shulk._ "I see... maybe we can try developing new Arts in general?"

"Maybe," mused Shulk. "I need some more inspiration, though. Well... as we beat up on that last Krabble, did you feel a... strange feeling inside of you?"

"Kind of..." Yeah... then it suddenly burst, like I got filled with energy...! "I guess. Is that me awakening my Talent Art?"

Shulk nodded. "I think so. I always feel filled to the edge with energy before I use Turn Strike. Kind of like that?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Wait... Shulk... have you tried to wield the Monado before?" I asked.

He nodded. "A lot of times. Usually ends in me smashing up the lab, though. I wonder what secrets it could hold..." he muttered.

"Shulk!" I blinked, and Shulk turned around. Fiora faced him. "There you are! Dickson told me you probably went to the park, so..."

"Oh, yeah. I did tell him I was. Well... meet Andrew," spoke Shulk, gesturing towards me behind him. I waved.

"Oh... hi." Now Fiora's mood seemed slightly downcast. She turned back to Shulk. "Here, I got you a sandwich."

"Thanks!" grinned Shulk, sitting on the nearby bench and beginning to eat the sandwich. Despite his massive bites, it barely looked like he touched it. _This game really does have weird logic on that sandwich..._ I thought as Shulk ate.

"And you..." Fiona glared at me. "Come over there..." She pointed. "I believe we should talk."

I sighed, before following her until Shulk couldn't hear us. "Let me guess. You don't trust me around Shulk," I started before she could say anything.

Fiora frowned. "How did you know I was going to ask you something along those lines?"

 _Oh, crap..._ "I... um, I can see it in your face," I responded hurriedly. "Hey, Shulk! You finished that sandwich?!"

"Sure am!" He stood, and snorted. "Man... I feel like I can tackle a thousand Krabbles! And win!"

Fiora smiled. "We all know you're fragile, Shulk," spoke Fiora as she walked towards him. "Better leave that kind of stuff to Reyn."

I followed her with a slight sigh. "So what do you think we're going to do now?" I looked into Fiora's eyes as she snapped her head around to glare at me.

"We?" she demanded, turning to fully face me. "Who exactly... is we?" She trembled slightly with anger.

"He means him, you and I!" Shulk turned his head slightly, looking over the two of us. "Let's head back to the lab!"

"Sure," muttered Fiora, and the two of them walked off, leaving me to dash after them.

We were back at the lab within a few minutes. "Here we go!" snorted Shulk as he led the two of us in. "Reyn?!"

I grunted as Reyn held the Monado. _I bet Fiora's going to get cut but take one damage..._ I thought, and walked forward.

"Whoa!" Suddenly, Reyn made a jerky movement and the beam of the Monado burst out. Fiona ducked, and Shulk simply sighed. With the same, weird movements, Reyn slashed the lab apart a bit. I blinked.

"Is there a way we can stop him?" I casually asked Shulk as we watched Reyn slash the lab apart with robot movements.

"Well... the Monado influences a Homs for a little bit unless you have an incredibly strong will to wield it like Dunban," explained Shulk. "I've tried to wield it, and I ended up smashing the lab up like Reyn's doing right now."

"AH!" Suddenly, Reyn lunged for me. I moved away, but I was too slow. He slightly cut my cheek, before the Monado was thrust away by an unknown force.

A slight pain flared on my face. I felt my cheek, and saw a thin trace of blood on my finger. _Because I'm human..._ I realized. "Well..."

"Wait. Give me a second, Andrew." Shulk grabbed his Junk Sword. "Light Heal!" I felt the cut wear away. "There."

"Thanks." I watched as Shulk grabbed the Monado very carefully, and somehow managed to put it back on the altar thing it rested on. Before he fully placed it there, however, I saw him flinch. _A vision..._

"But it's strange..." mused Shulk. "I've never seen the Monado harm a Homs before... how could that happen?"

"It's fine," I spoke quickly. "Anyway..." I looked as Reyn got back up. "Hi."

Reyn grumbled, turning to face Fiora and Shulk. "Aw, man..." He let out a groan. "This isn't good."

"You just banged up the lab," spoke Fiora sharply. "What do you think you were doing?" _She didn't mention me,_ I noted.

"Well... I came in to ask Shulk a favour... and saw the Monado there. I just couldn't resist," spoke Reyn, grinning sheepishly.

"Well... I'm here now, Reyn. What do you want to ask me?" asked Shulk, facing his friend.

"Old square-tache was really angry, so he put me on punishment duty." Somehow Reyn's grin became even more sheepish. "Fancy coming along?"

Shulk paused. "Well... yeah, that's just like him. He survived the Battle of Sword Valley, though," spoke Shulk.

Reyn sighed. "Yeah, yeah... he hit me and made me do a thousand sit-ups and push-ups. Now I have to go to the Mag Mell Ruins and back for the Ether Cylinders. Not a job I like doing. Mostly because I also have to put it into the mobile artillery.

"You've only done that job twice before," sighed Fiora. "On both times, you had Shulk come with you!"

 _It's really nice... just watching them..._ I thought. _Bickering, only like old childhood friends can..._

"It's fine. I'll go with you, Reyn." Shulk turned to me. "Andrew, you want to come too?"

"Uh... sure," I mumbled, though I was still thinking about friends... I suddenly shook my head. "That was a weird thought. Anyway, yeah!"

Fiona breathed out crossly. "Mag Mell Ruins are in Tephra Cave. It's dangerous, I've heard there have been Mell Lizards there." _The game designers have some weird senses of humour..._ I thought. "Shulk's also delicate... if anything happened to him, I..." She blushed slightly.

Neither Reyn nor Shulk seemed to notice. "Shulk'll be fine," sighed Reyn. "In fact. I promise you he won't get a single scratch!"

Shulk nodded. "Right. Besides, I can take care of myself, Fiora," he told her. "With Reyn and Andrew around, we'll be an awesome team!"

Fiora snorted. "Right. I don't trust either of you." She tapped her foot and sighed again. "I suppose I'll just have to trust you two." She then moved off.

"Ha..." Shulk snorted. "Well..." He turned to Reyn and I. "Time to go off to Tephra Cave! But first... we'll have to climb Tephra Hill!"

"Yay," I deadpanned as Shulk led Reyn and I out of the lab. _Guess this is going to be fun!_ I thought with a slight smile.

 **Oh... YES! Everything so far on this piece seems** **positive! At least... so far. It could change...**

 **Anyways... thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Hm... things are still postitive so far on this work. Which is good. Here's chapter 3! (Also... more writer's block...)**

"Alright, we'd better gear up before we try for Tephra Cave," declared Shulk. "Fiona's told me a few times that it's really dangerous."

"It is," grunted Reyn. "But I don't have any money on me right now. Guess we're gonna have to do some Quests."

 _This is how we decide to perform quests?_ I thought. _For money?_ "Alright. So... do we just ask around?"

"Yep!" responded Shulk. "Follow me, I've got a few quests I should've done a little bit ago on Agora Shore, like... two Stone Krabbles! Let's go!"

 _Swimming,_ I thought as Shulk ran to a ledge and jumped. "Well... here we go!" I also jumped, and when I hit the water, it was painless. "Where's Agora Shore?"

"Shulk's lead us," replied Reyn next to me. I looked at him. "Follow Shulk! He's already starting to swim!" Reyn began to follow his childhood friend.

I blinked, before sighing and following the two. _Wonder how long it'll take before my clothes dry..._ I thought absently.

Later, after we had completed a few quests, Shulk, Reyn and I stood on the path towards Tephra Cave.

"Why exactly did I have to change into this white jacket?" I complained as Shulk led us up Tephra Hill.

"It's made of durable stuff," responded Reyn gruffly. "Unlike that red shirt you were wearing earlier, it's been tested to never rip."

 _Oh... that solves the question of why their clothes never look different, even in battles..._ I thought. "Fine..." I grumbled.

"Wait!" Shulk paused. "Bunnivs. One of the residents wanted to have us get some Bunniv hides." He drew his sword. "Ready?"

"Yeah," grunted Reyn, grabbing his Driver. I drew my claymore, as Reyn led the charge. "War Swing!" he shouted.

"Reyn seems to really be getting into it," noted Shulk. "Alright... here we go! STREAM EDGE!" From the Art came a translucent blue colour.

I sighed. "So are you, Shulk." I used my Stab Strike Art. _I feel... kind of weak compared to these two..._ I then watched as the Bunniv died. "That was fast."

"Wait." Shulk picked up the dead rabbit. "I'd better..." He carefully skinned it with his Junk Sword. "One bloody Bunniv Hide!"

"Huh," grunted Reyn. "Alright, Shulk, we only have a little bit to go before we're at the top of Tephra Hill, let's go."

"Yeah." Shulk followed his friend, and within a minute, we were at the top. I looked over the railing, to see water below me. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I spoke quietly. I turned around. Shulk's eyes were a light blue colour. _I thought this happened later...!_ "Shulk?"

Shulk's eyes returned to normal. "Oh. Right." He shook his head. "I just thought of something new. A Chain Attack!"

"Where we all use Arts in a rapid succession?" I couldn't help but say. _Crap!_ I thought. _If I spoil the story..._

Shulk tilted his head to one side. "How did you know I was going to say that?" he asked. I blinked. "Well... anyway, that's it, yeah."

"Let's go in," spoke Reyn. Shulk and I nodded, before walking towards the cave. However, Fiora emerged with sacks. "Aw, man."

"Hi, boys," she spoke. She looked at me, then at Reyn. "You don't think I was really going to just let you three go in by yourselves, right?"

I sighed. _Of course not!_ I thought. _Otherwise this game's story would be one massive mess!_ "Not really."

Fiona blinked, before entering the entrance. "Told ya she didn't trust me," muttered Reyn, looking at his best friend.

"She doesn't mean it," responded Shulk, before leading all three of us in after her.

 _No, she's just in love with you and you're so dense you don't realize it,_ I thought. "I bet she was just worried about you."

Reyn grumbled. "She wouldn't trust me alone with Shulk for a million years."

"Come on, I don't think it's that bad," replied Shulk. _Now he's being defensive..._ I noted. "She's just... overprotective."

I sighed. "Let's just hurry through. Then maybe I can get my red shirt back on." I followed Shulk.

I daydreamed, and walked into Reyn. "Hey, watch it," he grunted. "Also, get ready to fight."

I peered over his shoulder. "Mell Lizards," I spoke. Fiora was standing next to Shulk. "What do you think?"

"Let's take them out," responded Shulk, drawing his sword. "Ready?" He looked at us, before charging.

I drew my own sword, and Shulk's other friends drew their weapons. "Here we go," I sighed. "Let's do it."

"Stream Edge!" shouted Shulk, swinging his Junk Sword. The nearest Mell Lizards instantly turned to him. "Reyn!"

"Yeah. War Swing!" Fiora ducked, before launching her own attack. I ran in to join the other three. I bet outside of gameplay, those three have max affinity... except for Fiora and Reyn... While I thought absently, I saw something lunge for me at the corner of my vision. "Huh...?" I turned to see a bigger creature. "Ah..." I used the named Stab Strike, but was simply tossed aside. "Agh!"

"You okay? Light Heal!" chanted Shulk. I felt the pain wear away immediately. "That should be fine. But this thing... it's massive! I think we'll need to use a Chain Attack to defeat it!"

"Tell us, Shulk, what the heck a Chain Attack is!" shouted Reyn, as he kept the creature busy.

 _I can't remember that thing's name...!_ I thought. _Eh... as soon as I get out, I'm going to watch Chugga play this game again..._

"Here!" Shulk helped me up. "Alright... let's go! CHAIN ATTACK!" he roared. "Stream Edge! Now, Reyn, go!"

"Wild Down!" he growled, and the creature fell over, now Toppled. "Fiora!" he shouted.

"Power Smash!" she exclaimed. "Come on, one last Art... Andrew!" She turned to me. "Do it!"

 _So I got the affinity boost with her?_ "Cross Slash!" Now the foe looked downright dizzy. "Yeah! Let's do this!"

"Sure!" Shulk grinned. "Got that overflowing energy, Andrew?! Yell at the top of your lungs and slash with your sword! That's how you release it! TURN STRIKE!"

I saw Fiora use her Butterfly Step Talent Art. "Okay... I'm trusting you on this, Shulk. AAAHH!" I slashed. Suddenly, time slowed down. "What...?" Shulk and the others were barely moving. _Oh... like Raiden from Metal Gear?_ _SWEET!_

I slashed as fast as I could, and time returned to normal after ten seconds. I staggered, but the beast had fallen. "That was fun."

"Heh." All of us withdrew our weapons. "See, I told you it would only take a little bit for you to feel emotions during battle," grinned Shulk. "Even if it's... joy, over happiness in survival or sadness that you killed a creature..."

"Yeah yeah," interrupted Fiora. "Let's just hurry to get the Ether Cylinders, guys."

"Right," responded Reyn, and we made it to the place where they were located. "Here we are."

I watched as they gathered up the Cylinders, then heard a slight humming behind me. _Right!_ I realized. _Ancient machines attack them here...!_ I turned, and barely managed to draw my sword in time to block an attack. "Wow."

"Huh?" Fiora gasped. "White machines...? Could they be Mechon?" Her hand drifted to her knives.

"I don't think so," replied Shulk, drawing his Junk Sword. "Even if they were, we'd still have to fight."

"Right!" Reyn grabbed his Driver again. "With all four of us, there's no way we can lose!"

I had to smile as I watched the spirits of the other three to grow. "Yeah!" Shulk led the charge as we began to fight.

 **Writer's block and a lack of time to write this one is the only excuse I have... anyways...**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **Well... that went well, I guess... here's chapter 4... hope you enjoy it!**

I blinked as Shulk finished the last Ancient Machine with a Back Slash Art. "Phew..." he breathed. "Glad that's over."

"Looks like no one's hurt," spoke Fiora, looking over all of us quickly. "Let's hurry back. It'll be dusk soon, and-"

Suddenly, there was a loud explosive noise, nearby. "What...?" Reyn grunted. "The Colony!"

Shulk, Fiora and Reyn all raced out. I followed more slowly. No one's ready to lose Fioira... I thought. _Should I tell them that she's going to die...?_ I shook my head to shake the thought. _If I do, they might never leave for revenge..._

Shulk gasped. "Look!" He pointed. "Mechon!" Metal Face was flying around, and I heard a choking sound from Fiora.

Fear was flashing explosively in her eyes when I looked at her. "No...!" She covered her head. "This can't be happening...!"

"We've got to get down there," spoke Reyn. "Looks like we'll have to jump into the water."

"You and Andrew go!" shouted Shulk. "I'll be down there with Fiora in a sec!"

"Alright." I ran off, before leaping over the nearby cliff. Reyn jumped soon after, and we landed painlessly in the water. I gasped for air when I surface. "Ah..." I saw a shore nearby, and swam towards it. I could feel Reyn's presence behind me.

We soon reached it. "Eh...?" Reyn cursed as a Mechon came out in front of us. "We have to fight it."

"Our weapons can't affect it though, right?!" I grunted as I drew my claymore. "Reyn?!"

"Uh... right. We need to Topple it... but we need Shulk to inflict Break first," he cursed. "We'll just have to stall."

"Great," I sighed. I swung, but my blade was deflected. "Shoot..." I barely blocked the machine's attack. "Ah..."

"Hah! War Swing!" Reyn was deflected on the first hit. "Eh!" He grunted as he was struck. "That's trouble..."

I heard a splash nearby. "I think Shulk's coming!" I responded. "We can hold out!" I rushed forward, and grunted. "Stab Strike!" With the stab, the Art was deflected. "Ah...!" I skidded back. "We should weapons made out of the armour Mechon use!"

"That would be a pretty good idea... if we survive." Reyn blocked another attacl. "Oil's coming out... from the Bleed effect."

"Great!" Shulk came up from behind us, water around him. "Fiora's behind me! Anyway... Stream Edge!" he yelled.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" grinned Reyn. He used his Wild Down Art. "Yeah... Toppled it!"

"Slit Edge!" grunted Shulk. "There! I've made a dent! Hit that spot!" he shouted. "You'll do extra damage!"

"Cross Slash!" The Mechon's eyes went dim. _How are we ever going to take on Metal Face...?_ I wondered.

I saw Fiora head towards Dunban's. "Dunban!" she called, rushing away. "Where are you...?"

"If we can get to the... to the Monado, maybe we can make a comeback," mused Shulk. "We have to head towards the lab...!"

"Right," replied Reyn. He followed Shulk, and I watched our backs. Soon, we made it to a... _I don't remember what this part of this game is called,_ I realized. _I have to watch more Chuggaaconroy..._

"Fiora! Go find Dunban!" shouted Shulk. By now, a bunch of Mechon were chasing us. "Great...!"

"This is a place I want to find myself in," grunted Reyn. "Ready...?" He turned to his childhood friend. "Shulk?"

"The lab...!" grunted Shulk. It was within view, but a massive rock suddenly blocked the entrance. "No...!"

"Looks like we're going to have to take care of the Mechon behind us," I sighed, drawing my sword again. "Alright. Let's do this!"

"That's the spirit!" Reyn drew his Driver. "Shulk! You inflict Break, and Andrew and I will take it from there!"

"No... CHAIN ATTACK!" he shouted. He drew his Junk Sword. "Only two... STREAM EDGE!" he roared.

"My turn!" grunted Reyn, running up to the Mechon. "Wild Down!" The Mechon collapsed. "Andrew!"

"Right... Cross Slash!" Now, when I looked at Shulk, there was a wild light in his eyes. "Shulk! One more!"

"My pleasure!" Now, it was like Shulk was an entirely new person. _Is it Zanza?!_ I suddenly thought. _Taking over?!_ "Turn Strike!"

The Mechon was completely destroyed, and Shulk's eyes returned to normal. "Wha... what was that?" I heard him murmur quietly. "Anyway... the other one's gonna be toast! Stream Edge!"

Soon, the Mechon was destroyed, but more only came in. "Oh, great," sighed Reyn as we stood back to back. "What a way to go out."

"We're not going out if there;s anything I have to say about it," I growled. "We have to keep fighting!"

"But we can't just use our Arts to inflict normal damage on them all the time!" objected Shulk. "We need...!"

"HAH!" Suddenly, there was a loud yell, and a whole row of Mechon were now smouldering piles of smoke. A bright blue light glowed as the person wielding the Monado revealed himself. "Been... having fun?" panted Dunban.

"Dunban!" cheered Reyn, and the light vanished from the Monado. "What are you doing here, with the Monado?"

"Fighting, of course," he gasped, and placed it back on his back. "Come now, more will rally quickly. We have to hurry." He looked me over quickly, but passed. "Let's go!"

"We have to make it to the Residential District," mused Shulk. "Fiora... she went to find you!"

"Right!" We rushed off. We made to a bridge. _This is where Shulk gets the Monado..._ I thought absently, as Mechon began to pour on the other side of the bridge. Duncan groaned, and the Monado flew away.

He fell on his knees, and coughed up blood. "Dunban, you can't use the Monado anymore!" spoke Reyn in a tight voice.

"I have to!" he grunted, trying to crawl to the sword, but Reyn held him back.

"Rey's right," spoke Shulk. "You can't use it anymore." He raced forward, and grabbed the sword.

"Shulk?!" gasped Dunban. Shulk shouted loudly, and light pulsed from the blade, brighter then when Dunban was using it.

"This time... it's my turn!" Shulk rushed forward. Suddenly, he faltered slightly. _He's having a vision,_ I thought. "AHH!" he screamed, dodging the incoming Mechon's attack. He slashed through it, and faltered again, before jumping to stab through another. "Guys!"

"We've go to assist him." I rushed forward, drawing my sword. "Shulk! Use the power of the Monado!"

"Right! Monaco Enchant!" he shouted. Now, there was a purple glow around our weapons. Reyn rushed forward as I began to swing.

"Ah...!" Duncan grabbed his katana, and rushed forward as well. "Hah!" He swung. "Shulk! You're... using the Monado!"

"Dunban...!" grunted Shulk, straining against another Mechon until I slashed it down. "Did you have a... a kind of vision, when you were using the Monado?"

I fell into a daze, just slashing through Mechon, so the didn't hear the rest of their conversation. I felt energy burst suddenly in my body. _My Talent Art...?_ I thought. _Maybe I'll call it Time Slower..._

"Chain Attack!" shouted Shulk. "Monado... lend us your power! Monaco Buster!" He cleared the path. "We have to hurry!"

"Yeah!" grunted Reyn. We ran after Shulk as he ran away, entering the Residential District from the long way. "Wait...!"

Suddenly, Metal Face flew down and dropped to the ground before us. "This Mechon... has a face?" gasped Dunban.

"That doesn't mean nothin'!" responded Reyn, drawing his Driver again, clearly ready for another bout.

"He's right!" declared Shulk, drawing the Monado again. "Not when we have the Monado!"

 _Wrong, Shulk... that's going to change nothing for now..._ I drew my claymore anyway. "Let's go," I spoke quietly.

"Right!" Shulk rushed forward, but when he slashed, the Monado was deflected. "What?!" He barely dodged a claw attack.

"The Monado doesn't have any effect?!" exclaimed Dunabn. "Impossible! It should slash through Mechon with ease!"

"We just have to keep trying!" roared Reyn. "Until we beat it down!" He began to attack again."Ah...!"

"Rah!" Dunban also charged forward, but Metal Face released an electric attack, which forced them away. "No!" They hit the ground, paralyzed by the attack.

"Dunban! Reyn!" gasped Shulk, distracted for a moment. Metal Face turned to him, and he began to turn towards Metal Face again. "Ah...!" He raised the Monado, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Time Slower...!" Time moved slowly, but Metal Face's claw was still zooming for Shulk. "No...!" I raced forward, and managed to pull Shulk out of the way of the attack.

"What...?" Shulk gasped as Metal Face's attack missed. "Andrew... what was that...?"

"My Talent Art," I responded, turning back to Metal Face. Time returned back to normal. "Not good...!"

Suddenly, there was a blast that hit Metal Face from behind. He turned, and Fiora was in the mobile artillery.

"Yaahh!" she shouted, firing the massive machine. Metal Face began to move towards her.

"No!" shouted the three males. Shulk raced for Metal Face, and I followed him after a moment. "Fioraaa!"

Metal Face turned at his voice again, and I began to run faster. However, it was futile. Metal Face got both of us with the paralyzing attack, and we fell, unable to move. _No..._ I thought. _I should've been able to...!_

Metal Face, meanwhile, had now clawed off part of the mobile artillery. It glared at Fiora, as red pulsed in those jagged lines again.

"Ah..." Fiora looked back with fearful eyes, before Metal Face's claw dropped again, and the part she was in was thrown away.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Shulk, looking at Metal Face. I heard Dunban and Reyn gasp, before the Mechon turned to us.

I swear I saw it smile in an evil way.

 **YEAH! Chapter 4, guys! Hope it was enjoyable! Also... I don't own Xenoblade... should've mentioned that...**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **Chapter 5... well, here it is!**

"NO!" screamed Shulk, trying to get back to his feet. I flopped on my back, feeling completely drained. Shulk managed to struggle, and arose. The light pulsed from the Monado again. "I WILL KILL YOU!" he roared at Metal Face.

I felt the paralyzing properties of the attack fade away. "Ugh..." I slowly got back up. "Shulk, he's-"

"AAAHH!" Shulk ran towards the faced Mechon, and blade met claw for a moment before he was overwhelmed. "Ah!"

I growled. Before I could move, I saw Dunban flash by, his blade deflecting the deadly blow Metal Face almost unleashed. "Shulk...!"

"Ah, Dunban!" Shulk moved from behind him, and swung again, the Monado deflected. "WHY WON'T IT WORK?!" he screamed, tears starting to run down his eyes. The Monado's beam retracted. "WHY?!"

Reyn's Driver deflected another attack. "Eyes front, Shulk!" he grunted as he forced the claw away. "This Mechon..."

I got back up. "Those red markings..." _The blood of a Homs..._ "I..." _Should I tell them...?_ "I think I-" I barely blocked another claw attack. Metal Face was glaring at me. "Ah..."

"Maybe like earlier..." mused Shulk, wiping his eyes. "If we can Topple it, then maybe we can inflict real damage... STREAM EDGE!"

The Monado was deflected. "He's not showing signs of the Break!" exclaimed Reyn. "No way..."

"Try a Chain Attack," I spoke. "A rapid chain of Arts is probably able to do this." I managed to get away.

Light pulsed from the Monado again. "It's all we've got. HERE WE GO!" he shouted. "STREAM EDGE!"

"It's working...!" grunted Dunban. "Steel Strike!" He let out a yell as Metal Face toppled over. "REYN!"

Reyn nodded as he ran up to Metal Face from behind. "Wild Down!" he roared, and Metal Face glared at him. "ANDREW!"

I grunted. "Cross Slash." After, Shulk let out a scream as the beam of the Monado extended. "Shulk...?"

He raised the mystical blade with one hand. "BUSTER!" He swung, but somehow Metal Face's claw deflected the Talent Art. "Huh...?" Shulk staggered backwards. The beam returned to normal length. "How did it...?" He paused. "That red light..."

H _e noticed?!_ I thought, running up to the Mechon. I slid under its claw. "HAH!" I stabbed upwards as I slid by, and as the blade was deflected, I slid away safely. "That was a crazy idea," I muttered to myself.

Metal Face focused on Shulk again, but he somehow held the Mechon at a standstill with the Monado. "Everyone..." he managed to speak. "Go...!" I watched as their eyes met, before Shulk was forced away. "Ah..." He managed to get on the Mechon's arm.

Duncan, Reyn and I watched as Metal Face's arm raised, and Shulk managed to stay on it. "Whoa..." breathed Reyn.

"DIE!" he screamed, jumping at Metal Face's head. The beam segment impaled it slightly, but Shulk was thrown away. "Argh!" He looked up as Metal Face raised its claw again. However, it looked up at the sky instead. Mechon were flying away.

It looked at all of us separately, but glared at Dunban. _Right..._ I suddenly remembered. _It's Mumkhar..._

It turned away and changed its form before it flew away. I withdrew my sword, and sighed. This day...

Shulk got to his feet, watching as Metal Face flew away. "NO!" he screamed, more tears running down his face.

Dunban looked away from the scene. "Fiora..." I heard him mumble. I blinked. _His sister's Fiora..._

Rain slowly began to fall, and other then the sound of falling rain, all that we could hear was Shulk's sobs.

 _Why does rain always seem to fall when important characters die?_ I thought. _Even though it didn't in the game..._

I suddenly realized Shulk had stopped crying. I turned, and he was looking at me. The beam flashed out and cut my cheek lightly.

Shulk growled, as the beam disappeared again. "Andrew... I think we have to talk."

...

We were at the park again. "Tell me," spoke Shulk. "The Monado can't hurt a Homs, but that cut on your cheek..."

I wasn't sure what to say. "I'm not a Homs," I finally spoke. "I may look like one, but I..."

"Earlier at the lab... Reyn cut you with the Monado," recalled Shulk. "I've gathered that. But... what are you?"

I sighed. "Human." He stared at me. "To be honest... how to phrase this..." I mused. "I'm not from this world."

Shulk blinked. "Then how are you here?!" he exclaimed, looking at me. He had a wary look in his eyes.

"I wish I knew," I grunted. I looked into his eyes. "If you want to try and cut me down, then do it."

"What?" Now surprise flashed in Shulk's eyes. "No way. I wouldn't cut you down. Even if you're something I don't know..."

I grunted. "You're soft," I spoke, unable to resist the words. "What if I'm a dangerous organism that's here to kill you?"

"What if you're not?!" Shulk flashed back. "No way..." He paused. "I... I thought I could trust you..." a hu-" He couldn't pronounce it.

 _Kind of like how you thought you should spare Mumkhar later?_ I thought. "Hmph." I turned away from the wielder of the Monado. "Besides, you have bigger problems then worrying about trusting me."

"I do?" His voice was full of puzzlement. "Explain! I don't get it!" He rushed forward. "ANDREW!"

I drew my sword and blocked his path. "Your Colony and your friends... and who you've lost."

I turned my head to see his shocked expression, mixed with anger. "You... YOU DIDN'T KNOW FIORA!" he roared.

I sighed. "You're right. I didn't." _But I might know her in the future..._ I walked off. "Maybe I'll see you again one day."

Shulk simply stood there as I left the hill and Colony 9 to enter Tephra Cave.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **I blame sudden addiction to Fallout 3...**

I was on Valek Mountain. Everyone was fighting Mumkhar when he harshly clawed Shulk like Wolverine clawed Raiden in their Death Battle. He fell, and everyone rushed over to him.

 _What is this?_ I vaguely wondered as Mumkhar approached Dunban from behind and killed him.

"NO!" gasped Shulk, struggling to raise the Monado. "Guys, I'm fine! We have to get him-"

Mumkhar laughed, throwing Dunban's body at the party. "All of you are gonna end up like this guy."

 _Wait,_ I thought. _Mumkhar never killed anyone in the game, and this is a dream..._ I blinked. "Huh."

"Do you see?" I turned to see Alvis. "This is what is going to happen at Valek Mountain, despite the Monado II."

"Uh... you don't seem surprised to see me," I commented. "Besides, I'm an outsider. What can I do?"

"I have seen a new future," he told me. "All because you have entered this world, Andrew. This wasn't supposed to happen."

 _No,_ I thought. _You don't say?_ "But... Shulk can use the Monado to foresee the future, and attempt to change it, right?"

"Ah. That's the word," spoke Alvis. "He can attempt to. However... you have knowledge of everything that can happen. You can foresee the big events a long time before they happen, while Shulk can see what happens in battle."

I blinked. "What are you trying to say?" I growled as Alvis chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"You ARE a bit dense," he mused. "Well... you and Shulk have to work together. Only with the two of you will everyone manage to survive the whole journey. Besides... you know what I am, don't you?"

 _You're a Monado,_ I thought. "Okay. So, are you telling me that they'll all die before reaching even Valek Mountain?"

"Before even meeting Melia," he replied. "In fact... because you're here, Reyn is fated to die against the the Arachno Queen in Tephra Cave, despite Shulk awakening Monado Shield. You will have to act quickly."

Okay, I thought. "So you're telling me that because I'm here, I screwed everyone up so badly even the Monado can't help?"

"I can't foresee that future anymore. Besides, there is no more time for talk, you-" Suddenly Alvis vanished, and I was left on Valek Mountain, left to consider what I had learned.

...

"Ugh..." I woke up and got to my feet. _What kind of dream was that?_ I thought. _Geez, why can't I have a simple life? Instead, now I have to face enemies as fierce as stairs... not revealing spoilers... yet. He probably wouldn't believe me..._

"Great," I muttered aloud. Right now, I was leaning against a tree. I stiffly got up. "Well. That was interesting." I walked off, and soon came to the entrance to Tephra Cave.

"Hey, Shulk, you look pretty down today," noticed Reyn. His voice came up to me, and I blinked.

 _Yay, joy,_ I thought, hiding really quick. The two came to the entrance, and I hid in a shadow.

"Well... I thought that Andrew might... well... never mind." Shulk sighed. "I wish I knew him better."

 _Well, to live through this journey you're apparently going to have to know me better,_ I thought. _Maybe it's better if I came out clean now... not like I have anything to lose..._ I emerged. "Shulk!" _Eh... this is probably a bad idea..._

Shulk looked at me. "Andrew." One of his hands gripped the Monado. "What...?"

"Hi?" I stood as Shulk's hand drifted from his sword. He walked calmly up to me. "I bet you don't trust me." _Even though you make really quick friends of all the other party members..._

Shulk paused. "I think I can. I don't think you're the kind of person that can be trusted, anyway." He extended a hand.

"Uh... I don't do handshakes," I spoke. "But do you mind if I join up with you guys? You want revenge on that Mechon, right?"

"That's putting it lightly," growled Reyn. "Shulk and I want to destroy it for what it did to Fiora."

Shulk lowered his hand. "Right. At the moment, Reyn and I are going to go through Tephra Cave to try and get to the knee of Bionis. If you want to come along, then let's go."

"Sure," I responded. I followed Shulk and Reyn as they entered Tephra Cave, entering a door that wasn't open before.

We ventured through the cave, with so many paths and twists that I couldn't be bothered to count them all.

"Oh..." Shulk paused, and I almost walked into him. "Bodies..." he breathed. He sounded incredibly sad.

"Let's bury them," suggested Reyn. Shulk nodded, and the two quickly buried the bodies of what I suspected were merchants.

"Alright..." Shulk stood up again. "Let's go on." He led Reyn and I down some more, and finally stopped. "Let's... stay here tonight."

 _This is the part where we all get ambushed by those dang Arachno,_ I recalled, as Shulk and Reyn quickly made a fire.

"I'll keep watch. You guys ought to get some rest," suggested Reyn gruffly. "We'll take shifts."

"Sure." Shulk lay down next to fire, placing the Monado next to him as he curled up.

I carefully placed my sword next to me as I lay down next to the fire. _How am I ever going to get back to my world?_ I wondered.

Though I thought I couldn't sleep, the exhaustion from running all day finally caught up to me and I slept.

...

I was awoken abruptly by a startled yell and a loud grunt. I grabbed my sword as I stood, seeing all the little Arachno surround us.

Shulk was panting, and realization dawned in his eyes as he looked around. He grabbed the Monado as he got up, releasing the beam of the blade. "Arachno..." he breathed.

 _He had a vision in his sleep..._ I thought. With all the Arachno pressing in on us, we came back to back.

"Oh, this went great," grunted Reyn, sarcasm nearly spilling over in his voice. "A LOT of spiders."

I sighed. _I hate spiders. They creep me the hell out._ "Let's just kill them so we can do other things."

"Agreed," responded Shulk, as he extended the beam. "I'll start, then you and Reyn go. Alright?"

"Sounds good," I responded while Reyn grunted, Driver at the ready. "Let's do it."

"Here I go!" shouted Shulk. "BUSTER!"

 **Thanks for reading! Oh, and Happy New Year!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I growled as a spider lunged at me. I froze for an instant in fear, before managing to swing my sword, cutting it in half. "Ew," I muttered, the two pieces off its body hitting the ground.

Shulk gasped, breathless as he swung the Monado again. "There's just so many of them! Stream Edge!"

 _Oh yeah, I have Arts,_ I thought. _Not like they'd do any good against creatures this small._ I stabbed, and got out of the way as Reyn used his War Swing attack. "A little warning next time?"

Reyn grunted. He simply ran up to another Arachno, using his Driver to kill it. "Shulk, a Chain Attack!"

Shulk wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Alright! Stream Edge!" he shouted. "Reyn-"

Suddenly, I was forced away. _What...?!_ My claymore had fallen away from me, and I saw a massive Arachno looking at me as I looked up. "Great." I rolled away from another attack. "Shulk! Reyn!" I grabbed my sword, and the two ran over.

Shulk grunted, the beam of light extending from the Monado. "Oh, geez." Shulk held the Monado in one hand, swinging across in a horizontal slash. "Buster!" he grunted, and the spider hissed as Shulk struck. "Yeah! Reyn, let's go!"

"Right! Inflict Break!" he yelled, using his Mad Taunt Talent Art. "While I have its attention!"

 _I don't think this happens in the game,_ I thought as I used Stab Strike. _Is it because I'm here?_ "Shulk!"

"Right! Air Slash!" he shouted, striking the side. The Arachno slowed condesiderably. "Reyn, Topple it!"

"Wild Down!" roared Reyn. Sure enough, the Arachno fell over, and we all began to beat up on it.

"Cross Slash," I grunted, and I Dazed it. Achievement get! I thought, running and sliding underneath the Arachno, which was trying to stand up again. I stabbed upwards. "Whoa!" The blade caught, and I pulled myself on top of the spider.

"I would call that Art Slide Edge!" called Shulk, using his Slit Edge Art. "Come on, guys! Before it gets up-"

"Yeah, yeah! SWORD DRIVE!" roared Reyn, and the Arachno howled with pain as he struck. "Yeah!"

I stabbed, and tore the blade out, using my Stab Strike attack. I leapt off the Arachno as it stood again. "Any other ideas?"

"Not at the moment, no," admitted Shulk. "Just... kind of hit it until it dies, I guess." He got to the creature's back. "BACK SLASH!"

 _Hitting it until it dies is probably a good idea,_ I thought. "Alright!" I swung again, and my Time Slower Talent Art activated. With a roar, I used Slide Edge, and unleashed a random amount of slashes. The Arachno fell, dead, as my Talent Art expired. "Cool."

"Let's..." Before Shulk could finish what he would've said, he yawned. "Ugh... let's continue on, then."

"Sounds good," grunted Reyn, as he put his Driver on his back again. He and I ran after Shulk as the wielder of the Monado ran off.

We ran out, through twisting and confusing caves, until we reached another open area. _This don't look good,_ I thought. _Maybe it's the Mystery Dungeon player in me but something bad's gonna-_

As Reyn walked forward he paused. "Wait... what are those?" He pointed to something looking like massive eggs.

"I think they're monster egg sacs," responded Shulk. "With some Mechon parts mixed in."

The two of them walked up to the sacs while I hung back. "Wonder what kind of creature they could be..." grunted Reyn.

"I'm guessing a kind of Arachno," admitted Shulk, observing it carefully. "Well, we..." He gasped suddenly. "Reyn, you-"

Something came from above and a material looking like silk covered Reyn. "Ah! Ugh!" He struggled, but the silk-like material zipped upwards as fast as it had gone down.

"Oh, great..." grunted Shulk. "Reyn..." He spoke more quietly, as if to himself. "If what I saw was true, then..." He turned to me. "Andrew! Come on, we have to find Reyn!"

I said nothing, simply following Shulk as he immediately ran off, a frantic expression on his face. The two of us ran, and Shulk slid to a halt as another egg sac before him began to hatch.

He drew the Monado. "Andrew, let's go!" He and I quickly dispatched of the Arachno that came out of the egg sac and carried on. We feel into a rhythm of slaying any Arachno that hatched from the egg sacs as we ran.

The two of us came to a massive, open area, with a lake in front of us. On a higher ledge, Shulk and I could see Reyn running from an Arachno, panting. "Ugh..." he gasped as he kept running., and we lost sight of him.

"Uh-oh," spoke Shulk. He looked around quickly. "Something I can climb..." He grunted as he saw a piller with vines growing over it. "Andrew, come on! We should be able to climb on that!"

"Right," I responded, and we climbed it as quickly as we could. "Ugh..." I managed to get on the area where we saw Reyn earlier, beside Shulk, and we took off again.

Soon, we could hear Reyn shouting. "Shulk, where are you?!" His yell was ear-piercing.

Shulk drew the Monado again as he ran. "Reyn..." He stopped to a halt as he saw his best friend covered by Arachno at all sides, before rushing forward again. "I'm com-" He gasped. _A vision of Reyn's death,_ I thought. "REYN!"

Reyn panted. "There's too many!" He ran off, toward what looked like a massive Arachno egg sac.

"REYN, NO!" yelled Shulk, rushing forward. "DON'T! If you do that, then you'll..." His voice died off.

"Shulk!" Reyn stopped running, and turned back to his best friend. A loud hissing sound came from behind him as he turned around as the Arachno Queen leapt on the ground. "Oh, boy."

It let out a loud roar and raised what actually looked like a claw, probably to stab Reyn.

"REYN!" roared Shulk. The Monado's light pulsed, and when it did, it was yellow. "HAH!" Shulk swung the blade, and a shield surrounded Reyn as he raised his Driver, deflecting the Arachno Queen's claw attack.

 _The graphics in the game have got NOTHING on this,_ I thought as Shulk panted, smile starting to form on his face.

The Arachno Queen hissed, turning towards Shulk. It moved with surprising speed, and Shulk raised the Monado out of instinct.

"Hah!" Reyn deflected the attack and forced the Arachno Queen backwards, as Monado Shield wore off. "Let's do this!"

I blinked, grabbing my claymore. _I hate spiders._ I sighed. "Shulk, are you..." I stopped, seeing him stare at the Monado. "Shulk?"

He blinked, but I saw a hint of light blue in his eyes. "Right. Let's go!" he declared, as smaller Arachno started to come in, hissing at us. The beam of the Monado flared up again. Shulk let out a gasp. "Reyn, Andrew!" He swung the Monado.

"What?!" shouted back Reyn as he used his Mad Taunt Talent Art. "What... do you have to say?!"

Shulk killed an Arachno using Back Slash. "STREAM EDGE!" He cleared the immediate area. "Phew. Now..." The Monado's beam became yellow again for a moment before turning back to its normal blue colour. "What...?" gasped Shulk.

 _Why did Shield not activate?_ I wondered, rushing forward to slash an Arachno that lunged for Shulk. "You okay?"

"I think so," grunted Shulk, though he was sweating heavily. "Did I overwork myself or something? Is that why the Monado didn't active-" Before he could finish his sentence, the Arachno Queen covered his feet with silky thread. "Ugh!" Though the wielder of the Monado struggled, he couldn't budge. "This can't be good."

"Shulk!" yelled Reyn, who was trying to get to his friend but couldn't due to the heavy amount of Arachno. "Look out!"

I saw the Arachno Queen, and I raised my sword. The claw ground against it, and I lost my footing as I was shoved back. "Ow..." I looked over at Shulk to see the Queen raising another claw. "Shulk!"

"Ah..." Shulk looked up as the Arachno Queen started to strike. "UGH!" He fell to his knees, and his knees were stuck in the sticky thread. "No... Light Heal!" he grunted, managing to reduce the injury. "Guys! A little help!"

I got back to my feet, running towards him. I used my brute strength as Reyn came over, and we managed to get Shulk out of the bind he was in.

"Thanks," he panted. "Alright... SHIELD!" He swung the Monado as the light turned yellow, blocking the Arachno Queen's claw attack. "Shadow Eye!" He got behind the Arachno Queen. "Get its attention!"

I used Stab Strike, and the Arachno Queen turned to me, hissing. "Reyn!" I shouted, using Slide Edge.

"SWORD DRIVE!" he roared, and the Arachno Queen let out a scream of pain. "Shulk!"

"BACK SLASH!" He struck. "Now... a Chain Attack!" he yelled. "STREAM EDGE! Reyn...!"

"Wild Down!" he shouted, and the Arachno Queen lost it's footing as Reyn struck. "Finish it, Andrew!"

"Cross Slash," I declared. Then we all beat up on the creature, managing to kill it. _That seemed a bit too easy,_ I thought, looking around at the Arachno. _Besides, they outnumber us by a lot..._

However, all of the Arachno quickly ran off, seeing at how we had just killed the Arachno Queen.

"That was amazing, Shulk!" exclaimed Reyn as he put his Driver back on his back. "So the Monado has other powers too!"

"Yeah," responded Shulk simply, putting the Monado on his back again. He ran off, leaving Reyn and I to run after him. We all saw a cave exit, and exited Tephra Cave.

It was nighttime as we came from the cave, and the splash of colours was so refreshing compared to Tephra Cave.

Shulk smiled. "This is the knee of the Bionis."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The three of us were resting, against a cliff face. It was the area before we reached Gaur Plains called the Leg Pass. The three of us had just traded gear with some Homs Merchants. We were resting for the day.

Reyn and Shulk were sleeping, with a fire to help keep them warm, made just before they literally collapsed.

I was lying down, looking at the night sky. _Next we meet Juju,_ I thought. _And we meet up with Sharla..._

I sighed, and sat up again. _Something isn't right,_ I thought. The ground was vibrating. _This..._ I stood, grabbing my sword. I placed on my red parlour jacket and looked towards the plains.

Two Arduns were running over the plains. I breathed out in relief. It was nothing dangerous... yet.

Suddenly, I heard a gasp behind me. I turned to see Shulk sitting up. "Are you okay?" I asked. He was panting, sweating heavily as well.

He stood. "I'm fine," he responded. "Let's go. Reyn and I want to travel to Colony 6," he added easily.

"Yeah," I replied, as Shulk went over to shake Reyn away. Although grumpy, he arose and we took off towards Gaur Plains.

"Hey, look," spoke Shulk after we had been running for a bit, stopping. "There's... smoke over there."

Reyn grunted, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe someone's having a barbecue."

Shulk tilted his head to the side a bit. "A strange time and place to be having a barbecue."

 _But you're gonna head towards it anyway for plot reasons!_ I thought. "Maybe we should go investigate?"

"Yeah," nodded Shulk. "That sound good." With that, he took off again, ignoring the wildlife that slowly walked around.

As we came closer, we saw that what had smoke coming from it was a buggy. "A... buggy?" Reyn looked confused.

Shulk looked it over. "It doesn't look too bad, but... the circuit is..." He touched it, and his eyes became blue. "Ah..." He removed his hand and looked at the two of us. "Guys, we have to go! Someone's in trouble!"

"Did you have a vision or something?" asked Reyn, starting to look tense.

Shulk nodded. "Yeah It was near water." _Wait... Reyn knows about Shulk's visions?_ I thought.

"We have to hurry!" continued Shulk, face starting to look more and more frantic.

"Calm down, we just have to look at any areas that have water," spoke Reyn.

"Uh... maybe we should just go there." I pointed towards a waterfall. At nearly the same time, there was a loud shout from that direction. I looked back at Shulk and Reyn. "How about it?"

Shulk nodded. "Alright, let's go!" He led Reyn and I down, and we soon saw Juju on the ground, those two Arduns from earlier ready to pound him into the ground. "NO!" Shulk activated the Monado. "Buster!" He used the longer beam of light to stab both Arduns at once. They instantly turned towards him, starting to charge. "Guys!" He used his Shadow Eye Art. "Let's go!"

Reyn grunted, rushing to meet an Ardun head-on. "Hammer Beat!" he shouted, striking. "Kid, run away!"

"Oh, okay!" Juju scrambled back to his feet and ran from the scene.

I drew my sword, dodging the tackle the Ardun tried. "Ha!" I ran and used Slide Edge to get on top of it. "HAH!" I used Stab Strike, but instead leapt while the blade was in the Ardun's back, dragging it through its face. I landed while it fell. "Sweet."

Shulk smiled. "Now you've got it!" He rushed towards the other Ardun, using Back Slash. It turned towards him. "Reyn, Andrew!"

I grunted, using Time Slower. _This is a bit too good,_ I thought. I shrugged before rushing towards the Ardun. Reyn used his Sword Drive Art and fell from the recoil. Without thinking, I held my blade in a reverse grip, like how Dante in Devil May Cry 3 held Rebellion before using his Drive attack. I saw the Ardun strike Shulk.

Shulk was thrust away, into the waterfall. "UGH!" He hit the water, though emerged quickly.

I was distracted for a moment, and the Ardun lunged for me next. Out of instinct I swung my claymore, and it somehow forced both the Ardun and I back. _Now, I bet Shulk is going to name this an Art and... wait, how's it move so quickly?_

"Ooh! A defensive counterattack! You should name it... uh..." He paused for a moment. "You hold it in a reverse grip... call it Defensive Reversal!" With that, he used Light Heal on himself, rushing back into the fight.

 _This Ardun's skin... way tougher then the last one!_ I thought. _Like a Mechon..._ I gasped. "Shulk, Reyn! A Chain Attack! Topple and Daze it!" They nodded, and Shulk started.

"Alright, STREAM EDGE!" he roared. The signs of Break showed on the creature. "Reyn!"

He nodded, and raised his Driver a bit higher for the Art he would use. "Wild Down! ANDREW!"

"Cross Slash!" I grunted, inflicting Daze. Afterwards, we easily took care of the Ardun.

Shulk withdrew the Monado as it fell. "Phew," he breathed. "That..." He yawned. "Ugh... that was good."

Reyn snorted. "That was a pretty good wake-up call compared to just running, you know."

Shulk blinked. "Huh." He turned as Juju came running back. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks," he responded. "Do... do you think you can help me out with my buggy? It, well..."

"We saw a buggy earlier," grunted Reyn, pointing upwards over the small hill. "Around there, right?"

Juju nodded. "Yeah... oh, and before I forget, I'm Juju," he spoke.

While Reyn introduced himself and Shulk as they walked back to the buggy, I was silent.

Shulk looked it over. "The circuit isn't working right..." He swiftly fixed it. "There. All you need now is a new ether cylinder and it'll work almost brand new."

"Thanks again," replied Juju. Then he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey... maybe you can come to a camp that's nearby! Right now, some Homs and I are living in it."

"A Homs camp," mused Shulk. "A bit out here..." He turned to Reyn and I. "What do you guys think?"

"Why not?" shrugged Reyn. "Maybe we could get some information on Colony 6."

Though Reyn's and Shulk's backs were turned, I saw Juju visibly flinch at Reyn's words.

"Yeah, sure," I responded. With that, Shulk turned back to Juju.

"Alright, looks like we can!" he told the younger Homs. "Mind leading us?"

"Sure," replied Juju, and he walked his buggy with him as we followed. Soon, he led us to a cave entrance. "Here!"

I looked it over. _The ceiling inside doesn't look very stable,_ I thought. "Well... interesting."

Someone walked out of the cave, rifle at the ready. "Freeze!" As Sharla said it, none of us did so.

"Sharla!" Juju rushed up to her. "Can't you let these guys stay? They saved me. Besides, they want to travel to Colony 6!"

Sharla's expression became one of shock and sadness, before becoming somehow angry.

 _This is going to end SO well,_ I thought wryly.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **This story will have everything in the main story that I think should be there. That's all I have to say...**

"Juju, there is no way Colony 6 is safe!" she told him.

"But with these guys there could be a way to take down all of the Mechon!" he protested.

While they argued, Shulk, Reyn and I all exchanged looks. "Maybe we shouldn't stay," spoke Shulk.

Reyn scoffed. "Maybe? Sharla looks like she could get a lot angrier really quickly."

I sighed. Then I noticed Sharla looking at us. I raised a hand. "Hi?"

She sighed. "Hello," she spoke. "I am Sharla. Although we cannot offer very much, I thank you for helping my brother, so you can stay a bit if... you wish."

"Thank you," responded Shulk, and the three of us entered. "This cave is pretty lively," he noticed.

Sharla looked at him. "All of the Homs here had to evacuate from Colony 6. I suppose I'll tell you about that..." She sat down on a crate next to a fire. She gestured for the rest of us to sit. Juju had walked a little bit away.

"Perhaps you can tell me what you on doing on the knee of the Bionis?" she spoke.

"Well..." Shulk hesitated for a moment, but soon he and Reyn were both telling the tale.

I wasn't listening at all, instead I kept an eye on Juju. _If I stop him from going off in the first place, maybe the plot of the game would change for the better. Or maybe for the worst,_ I thought afterwards. _Man, I have been told too many times that I am pessimistic!_

Soon, I noticed him leave. "Excuse me," I spoke before I walked off. He was in the entrance, inserting a new ether cylinder into his buggy.

"Cowards," he muttered. He shuffled around, revving up the engine. "I'm going, even if they won't..."

"That is a terrible idea," I spoke. He whirled around. "It's dangerous out there, with..." _Do not give away spoilers..._ "All of the Mechon."

He growled. "What do you have to say? You're a stranger." He got on his buggy, and I sighed as I used Time Slower. I drew my sword and got in front of the buggy. I got in position of the Defensive Reversal Art, and waited. The Talent Art wore off and he shot off at me.

The Art activated and I swung, forcing him backwards, as well as myself. In fact, I was flung a bit away, landing heavily on my back. "Ow," I spoke out of instinct, and stood quickly as Juju sped off. I cursed. _Well, time to do a bunch of stuff which results in more stuff all because that kid is an idiot! FANTASTIC!_

Shulk groaned as he walked outside. "Andrew, what are you...?" He froze as he saw Juju speed off. "Reyn, looks like our visit is going to have to cut short."

Reyn exited, seeing and hearing Juju. "He must be going to Colony 6." He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Sharla emerged, sighing. "I've told him so many times over that Colony 6 is unsafe..." she muttered. Then she turned to us. "Juju has probably gone to make his way to Raguel Bridge, as it's the safest way to get to Colony 6. By buggy, anyway."

"Then we have to hurry," spoke Shulk. "There's no knowledge of what could happen, with the Colony infested with Mechon."

I blinked as we set off, Sharla following us. _She's just going to follow us like that?_ I thought.

Shulk, Reyn and Sharla all ran quickly, and soon Sharla pointed to a distant bridge. "That's the Raguel Bridge!" she told us.

We all stopped. At the entrance, I could see Juju's buggy, steam rising slowly from it. Even worse was a bunch of Mechon.

Shulk drew the Monado, the light pulsing outwards. "There's so many," he breathed. "But we'll have to do this, right?"

Reyn grunted as he grabbed his Driver. "Come on, Shulk! You need to enhance our weapons before we charge!"

Sharma grabbed her rifle from her back. "Wait a second... what is that weapon?" she asked.

"The Monado," responded Reyn. "It's perfect for dicing up Mechon, like the ones over there."

The Monado's light turned purple. "Alright," spoke Shulk, swinging it around him. A purple glow came upon our weapons as he activated Monado Enchant. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" shouted Reyn, charging first. He used War Swing, which dealt heavy amounts of damage, thanks to the fact that Shulk had enhanced his weapon. "Shulk!"

I drew my own blade as everyone else moved forward. Shulk ducked from a Mechon's beam. "Whoa!" he grunted, getting back up. "Ah..." Suddenly, I could see his eyes turn light blue for a moment. He turned. "Behind us...!"

"Look out!" shouted Sharla as a Mechon lunged for him. She used her rifle to shoot it away. "In battle is not the time to get distracted." She shot another rifle round.

"Sorry," he replied. "Andrew, watch our backs!" As he spoke the words a tremble came through the ground. "What...?"

I turned. "What is that?!" It was a massive Mechon. No face, but it had a body. It was about twice the size of Shulk. _This was never in the game!_ I thought. _Is it here because I am, to balance everything, so that no scales are tipped?_ "Crap."

"We'll have to split up!" cursed Shulk. "Sharla, Reyn! Handle all the small Mechon! Andrew and I will take this big one on!"

I grunted, running towards the Mechon. "Slide Edge!" Despite my enhanced blade, I could barely pierce the armour, and thus couldn't use my momentum to get on top of it. "UGH!" I gasped as it looked at me, raising its blade. "Defensive...!" I managed to rise, and my counter was unleashed, forcing me backwards. "That..."

Shulk grunted. "Slit Edge!" The attack was deflected. "Wait a second... maybe... if these Mechon are forced into water..."

"They'll rust or something?" I spoke, as Monado Enchant wore off. _No..._ While I was distracted, the Mechon swung. It cut my chest, and I staggered. "Ugh..." I heard Reyn and Sharla shouting as Enchant wore off on their weapons too.

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk, behind the Mechon. "BACK SLASH!" However, his attack was deflected. "Ah..."

I tried to block as the Mechon swung, but the weapon was forced out of my hands as it happened. "No..."

"No... my vision...!" Shulk pounded, but it did nothing. "No... NO!" The Monado's light pulsed red, as the Smash Art symbol appeared. "RAH!" Shulk swung as a red aura surrounded him. "STREAM EDGE!"

 _Monado Smash?! But this is Xenoblade, not Smash Brothers!_ I thought. I quickly grabbed my claymore again, but it wasn't needed.

"HAH!" As Shulk's Art connected, there was a shockwave, which forced all the Mechon away, including the one Shulk and I had been clashing with. They went flying into the sky, disappearing like how Team Rocket always disappeared in the Pokemon anime.

Shulk panted. "There... I... changed the future..." He collapsed as the Monado's light failed.

 _So now Shulk's gonna have the Smash variants of his Monado Arts too or something?_ I thought as Reyn and Sharla rushed forward to their fallen comrade.

"That was a massive burst of Ether," mused Sharla. "If I can shoot some Ether around him, he should be back on his feet, though..."

 _Wait... so this was like Melia's situation too?_ I thought.

"Where are we going to find some Ether crystals, though?" asked Reyn.

"I don't know," admitted Sharla. "Guess we'll just have to drag Shulk along with us and hopefully we can find some." She stood. "So... who wants to carry him first?"

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Reyn was carrying Shulk, as I held the Monado in my hand. _Why am I holding this thing?_ I thought, looking at it. _Why can't we just strap it to Shulk's back or something as Reyn carries him? Also, shouldn't I be out of control or something by now?_

"Hm..." Sharla picked up a small gem, and tapped it with one hand, kneeling as she observed it. She stood. "Alright, this should do." She loaded it into her rifle, and Reyn set Shulk on the ground. "Stay about 10 feet away," she spoke. "So you're not in the radius of the Ether blast I'm going to fire."

With that, Reyn and I stepped away. Sharla shot up into the air, and I saw what seemed like fine dust through the air, landing around and atop of the wielder of the Monado. He opened his eyes slowly with a groan.

"Ow," he grunted, slowly getting back to his feet. "Wow... that was..." He paused as I threw the Monado at him. Shulk caught it by the hilt, and the light pulsed out of the Monado. "Thanks."

Reyn blinked. "I have a question. How come when we all tried to hold the Monado, we went crazy, but when Andrew held it, he was fine. Why do you think that happened?"

Shulk let the Monado rest on his back again. "Well... Andrew's not really a Homs, remember?" spoke Shulk. "He's something else that just looks like one of us. Maybe that's why he wasn't affected."

"Wait a second..." We all turned to look at Sharpshooter Sharla. "He's... not a Homs? What do you mean?"

Please, not the Justin Bieber song! I thought. "Well... let's just say I'm human, and that I'm here because reasons that..." _If I spoke aloud en explosion might occur from how much I would blow your minds..._

"That's crazy, and not very much information," observed Sharla.

I shrugged. "We'll just have to deal with it. Anyway..." I pointed to a nearby mountainous area. "What's that?"

"Spiral Valley," spoke Sharla. "That... that might be where Juju is!" She ran off, leaving the rest of us to run after her.

We were soon at the top of the mountainous area. Juju was there. "Juju!" shouted Sharla, rushing forward.

Shulk gasped. "Sharla, NO!" he yelled. As he called out, a massive Mechon descended somehow from above. "What...?" He gasped again, drawing the Monado. "SHARLA! STAY BACK!"

He ran forward, as well as Reyn and I, all of us drawing our weapons. The Mechon had tentacles which it sent flying at Sharla, grabbing Juju as it did so.

"It's too late..." cursed Reyn, but he ran forward anyway to try and prevent Sharla's death.

"No... NOT AGAIN!" shouted Shulk. The Monado's light pulsed into a slightly different shade of blue, but it faltered almost instantly, Shulk falling over as it did so. He was gasping for air. "What...? No, I have to..,!" He looked forward. "Ah... RAR!" The Monado's light returned to the light blue, and the symbol for Monado Speed appeared on the blade.

Sharla gasped as the tentacle zoomed at her, turning around slowly. "Ah..." The blue aura surrounded her, but she was still too slow. As she moved the tentacle still shot up her side, blood bursting from the wound. "Ugh..." She fell, extremely bloody.

"NO!" roared Reyn, running at the Mechon. As he did so, the tentacle ground against his Driver. "You're going to pay!"

"Andrew!" panted Shulk, looking at me. I turned. "Help me up. I have to help Sharla!"

"Alright!" I helped him to his feet, and he staggered as I let go of him. "Are you okay?"

He was covered in sweat. "Probably not, but..." He used his Light Heal Art, and Sharla's wound closed, if at least a bit. "Alright..." Shulk fell to his knees, and I had to help him up again. "It's... just temporary. We have to get her to proper medical attention..."

"Um... she's a doctor," I spoke. "Right?" As I spoke Sharla shot up a huge blast of Ether into the air, which healed her. "Huh." I rushed forward. "Shulk!"

He slowly took a step forward, clearly drained. "Huff. Huff." He still somehow dodged a tentacle as he gasped for air. "Alright... guys, here it comes! Monaco Enchant!" he roared. "Ready?!"

Reyn smirked. "Hell yeah!" He used his Mad Taunt Talent Art, while Sharla was forced to use her Cool Off Talent Art. "Guys, let's rock!"

I grunted. "Hah!" I used Stab Strike, and oil slowly dripped out of the wound I created. "Alright..." I used Slide Edge, managing to get on top of it. "Chain Attack time?!"

"Alright!" Shulk got to the side of the Mechon. "Here I go! Air Slash!" His attack worked. "Reyn, Topple it!"

Reyn nodded. "Wild Down!" He struck, and the Mechon fell, causing me to leap off. "Andrew!"

"Yeah!" I used the Cross Slash Art, which caused Daze. However, it let out a whirl of angry metallic sounds, before ascending to a higher level. "Darn. Are we gonna...?"

Everyone had fallen over, tired. Shulk and Sharla were covered in sweat, gasping for air, while Reyn slowly went over to Sharla. Wordlessly, he touched her side.

"Ow!" Sharla flinched as Reyn did so, and he drew his hand back. "Sorry... it just really hurts..."

Shulk slowly got himself back to his feet. "We... have to... go after that Mechon..." He grunted. "Ready?"

Sharla shot another burst of Ether into the air, healing all of our wounds. "I'm sorry... that I can't... do anything else..." She slumped, unconscious. Reyn, Shulk and I continued onward to continue the fight.

 _This is crazy,_ I thought. "Whoa!" I used Defensive Reversal, barely managing to block the tentacle that came at me in time.

Soon, the Mechon was before all of us again. "There's no escape!" shouted Shulk, enhancing our weapons with Enchant again. "Let's go!" He led the charge with Stream Edge. "Ah... it's... not showing the signs of Break..."

"We'll make it somehow!" Reyn used Sword Drive, knocking himself backwards. "Whoa...!"

I shouted, swinging. Fire came from a tentacle and struck me. I staggered back, groaning. "What...?"

Shulk let out a shout, using Back Slash from behind. "Let's end this!" He used Slit Edge from the side. "Use everything you've got!"

Reyn grunted, using War Swing while I used the Time Slower Talent Art. As I did so, however, the Mechon captured Shulk, making him lose his grip with the Monado, however he managed to escape."No... I'm sorry..." He slumped, falling to the ground.

I rushed over. _He's fine,_ I thought. "Ah..." I managed to dodge the Mechon's tentacle, and saw the Monado. _If I can use it...!_ I put my blade on my back and grabbed the sword. "Sorry, Shulk. I'll give it back to you later." I ran in, using Defensive Reversal to deflect an attack the Mechon sent at me.

Reyn grunted, Enchant wearing off on his weapon. "Wait a second, that's...!" He gasped as I slashed, the Monado's light pulsing from the blade. "How...?"

"I don't know!" I shouted, using a single slash to destroy the Mechon. Juju fell from its grip, who Reyn caught.

"Thanks!" managed Juju as Reyn set him on the ground.

"Let's get Sharla to know you're alright," grunted Reyn, directing Juju towards the female Homs.

"Here." I tossed the Monado near Shulk. _The power of that sword... if it's that powerful already, then what kind of destructive potential will it have in its second state...?_ I grunted.

"Thanks..." Shulk managed to stand up again. "That was tough. But now we can return Juju and Sharla back to the camp they were in before..." He kept the Monado in his hand. "Then we can continue on... to Colony 6."

"No can do!" From behind us, a massive Mechon descended. _Xord!_ I realized instantly, drawing my claymore again.

"There's no way, after all, that I can just let you escape like that!" laughed Xord.

"It... it has a face," gasped Shulk. "Just like..." He growled. "YOU WILL DIE!" Light pulsed from the Monado as he raced forward.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Shulk swung, but Xord casually moved back, and he staggered as he missed his target. "Ah..." Shulk let out a gasp as he was struck, forced backwards. "That..." He was gasping, and I couldn't hear him. He lost his footing as Xord struck him again.

I blinked, holding my sword in a reverse grip, which activated the Defensive Reversal Art. Xord looked at me, before striking. I countered, but the attack held so much power I just couldn't deflect it. "Ugh!" I grunted, hitting the ground.

Xord laughed. "Pip-squeaks! You're not worth my time!" Thrusters rushed from somewhere from his back, and he rushed off at Reyn, Sharla and Juju.

Shulk grunted, managing to get back up. "Oh, no!" He ran at Xord, who landed beside the Homs. "Don't you...!"

I stood, knowing what Xord would do. _He's going to take Juju and then we'll have to head over to Colony 6,_ I thought, resting my claymore on the straps on my back before walking calmly forward.

Xord crackled, grabbing Juju in his hand. "Help!" shouted the younger Homs, struggling.

"Hey!" shouted Reyn, grabbing his Driver. He tried to use his Hammer Beat Art, but Xord casually stepped backwards. _He is not feeling very rushed, is he,_ I thought. _Not when he knows that we're nowhere strong enough to beat him now..._

Reyn staggered from his own momentum. "Whoa!" He managed to stop himself, but was knocked aside by Xord. "Ah..."

"None of you are a match for me!" laughed Xord, holding Juju in his hand. "I'll be-" He stopped as an Ether round hit him in the face.

Sharma was panting, back on her feet. "You...!" She shot another rifle shot, but it was clear Xord was unaffected.

Xord laughed. "Ha!" He swung his hammer at Sharla, knocking her away. The red vein markings along his body started to slow, and he growled lowly. "You're lucky, maggots!" The thrusters from his back activated."If you want to save this boy, then come to Colony 6! But come quick, I'm hungry!" With that, he shot off, quickly vanishing from our vision.

"SHARLA!" yelled Juju, struggling to escape from Xord's grasp, however it was clearly no use.

"JUJU!" screamed Sharla, on the ground. She reached out, but she lost consciousness and it fell.

...

The four of us were in the refugee camp. "What do we do now?" I wondered, sitting against a cave wall.

Shulk, sitting on a crate, answered. "We go to Colony 6 and confront that... face Mechon, and get Juju back."

"Uh..." I raised a hand. "Xo- that faced Mechon was so fast and powerful that we couldn't even TOUCH it! How can we hope to fight it?" _What, are we going to just do all the quests in this camp?_

Shulk stood with a sigh. We had rested for two days now, but Sharla had yet to regain to regain consciousness. "Maybe it's in the way we use our Arts," he mused. He drew the Monado, the light pulsing from the sword. "In fact... I have an idea that could apply to all of our Arts... maybe improve them in a sense." He gestured outside, and the two of us walked outside in the warm sunshine.

Reyn was already there, doing a bunch of push-ups. "453... 454..." He didn't look the least bit strained, either.

"Andrew." Shulk's voice brought my attention back to him. "Use that Defensive Reversal Art."

I did so, sword ready in a reverse grip. "Okay. Now what?" I asked. _Is this how we use AP?_ I thought.

"Ready? I'm going to attack you." Shulk swung, and the Art kicked in, deflecting Shulk's attack. The two of us slid backwards. "Hm..."

The wielder of the Monado looked thoughtful. "Well?!" I exclaimed after a good five minutes.

Shulk grunted. "Well... the way you use it... I've almost got it..." He focused for another minute, and snapped his fingers. "That's it!" he cried, placing the Monado on his back. He came closer. "If you turn around while using it, and spin so you're facing me when you swing, there's so much more power in it!"

I blinked, and turned so my back was to Shulk, holding the blade in a reverse grip again. I looked over my shoulder, to see Shulk use his Stream Edge Art. "Hey!" I spun to my left as he swung, swinging my own sword. I easily deflected his Art with ease, even forcing him away. _Oops?_ I thought, watching him as he was flung through the air.

He hit a nearby tree, and fell. "Ugh!" He managed to get back to his feet. "Yes... that seems a lot better..."

"Huh." This is... interesting, to say the least... Reyn stopped doing push-ups, grabbing his Driver.

"We have to get stronger if we're gonna try and take back Juju," he spoke. "If we can improve our efficiently with our Arts, then the next time we fight, that faced Mechon won't beat us!"

Shulk nodded. "Right. So that's a more efficient way to use your Defensive Reversal Art," he told me. "I've been thinking of this ever since we got back to the refugee camp, and this is definitely a way to get stronger."

"This is going to be interesting," I responded. "For Stab Strike, it's best if I can hit veins and arteries, right?" _The head, too, if i can... but these creatures are so big that's almost impossible, I thought. If I used Slide Edge to get on higher ground... then..._

Shulk nodded. "Usually, for using an Art that inflicts Bleed. But... it's a bit tricky to think of ways to improve out Arts that inflict Break, Topple and Daze... maybe the part of the body that you're striking with the Art...?" he mused.

"Keep thinking, Shulk," spoke Reyn, folding his arms. "While you do, Andrew and I ought to practice using our other Arts."

"Alright." I blocked Reyn's attack, but then felt an almost overwhelming instinct to attack him. However, I managed to resist. "Oh, that must be Hammer Beat," I grunted. "Then..." I used Time Slower, as he tried to use War Swing. I ducked, dodging all of the hits. "Hi." I waved at Reyn as he looked down at me. I got back to my feet. "Anything else?

"Ha!" Reyn used Sword Drive, but I used my Defensive Reversal, which forced both of us back. "Nice," spoke Reyn, as the both of us panted. "Alright, round two?"

"Wait." Shulk came to the side of Reyn. "Air Slash!" he shouted. Reyn grunted, moving away. However, Shulk barely nicked him.

"It's also depends on how deep the wound can go for the duration of Break, Topple and Daze," he realized. "Even better if you can do it while the enemy isn't on you when you do it..."

"Do you mind if I join you?" spoke Sharla, emerging from the cave.

"No, uh, we don't mind," spoke Reyn hastily. She walked forward. "Right now, we're working on improving our Arts so that we can get back at that faced Mechon."

She looked interested. "I see." She aimed at me, and I grunted as she shot me. However, energy surged through me as she did so.

"Thanks," I spoke. Sharla nodded curtly, shooting Shulk and Reyn as well. _An Art that gives energy back... I don't think she has that in the game,_ I thought. I shrugged slightly. _Eh. This world's messed up already with Shulk having Monado Smash, why not?_

"I've got it," spoke Shulk. "Reyn, you and Andrew fight, and I'll watch to see what you guys could maybe improve, and Sharla will heal when you guys get hurt. If that's okay," he spoke to the healer, who nodded in return.

"Alright!" I grunted, ready. "Hah!" I used Stab Strike, aiming for Reyn's face, but he used his Driver, which blocked my attack. "Whoa!" I leapt away from Reyn's Hammer Beat Art, and held my sword at my waist. I had a good feeling about doing that.

"SWORD DRIVE!" shouted Reyn, and I slashed across in a horizontal line, looking exactly like Shulk's Stream Edge Art. Our attacks clashed, sliding us both back.

"Ooh, I've got that perfect name for that Art!" shouted Shulk from the sidelines. "Whip Slash!"

I grunted. "Because now is TOTALLY the time to think up new Art names!" I prepared the Defensive Reversal Art.

"Um, yes?" responded Shulk as Reyn came at me. I deflected his swing, and we clashed continuously.

"Come on!" smirked Reyn as we clashed, at a standstill for a moment before he overwhelmed me. I staggered, and he used his Hammer Beat Art. I used Cross Slash out of instinct, which deflected his Art. "Whoa... using an offensive Art for a defensive purpose?" He grunted as I slashed, blocking. Our weapons found against each other.

 _He's powerful!_ I thought, as Reyn forced me backwards. I hit a tree. "Ugh!" I recovered, as Reyn waited for me to get back in the action. "Wait... maybe we could try combination tactics," I spoke suddenly. "Yeah!"

"That's a good idea," mused Shulk. "Reyn... hold your Driver up." His friend did so. "Hup!" Shulk ran off, resting the Monado on his back. He leapt off Reyn's Driver, landing in a roll. "Sweet! Next time, we're not going to lose to that faced Mechon!"

Reyn grunted. ""Well, Shulk? What did you notice that Andrew and I could improve?"

"That Whip Slash..." He turned to me. "If you make it as fast as possible, you could deal more damage, maybe even get in a bonus effect..." He turned to Reyn. "The way you use Sword Drive..."

 _Maybe if I use Time Slower and Whip Slash... I could even slash someone in two._ I shrugged away my wishful thinking. "So who's next?" I asked.

...

It was the next day. Every one of us had improved our Arts so much it was almost scary.

"Time to take on Colony 6," breathed Shulk. He looked at Sharla, Reyn and I. We had all also gotten new gear. I had new snazzy shoes, an awesome red parlour jacket and googles.

Reyn had a Skyrim helmet and rather heavy armour compared to the rest of us.

Sharla was wearing new boots and a new jacket over a shirt.

Shulk looked exactly like the image in his Smash Trailer when it said _Shulk Foresees A Fight!_

"Then let's go," spoke the wielder of the Monado, and we all raced off towards Colony 6.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 **Calling it right now, this chapter is going to get a lot of hates.**

The four of us were outside the Ether Mine. I yawned at how early it was. Sharla had suggested we enter Colony 6 by the mine.

At the moment, we were all resting. I hadn't gotten too much sleep, however.

"Unh... hungry," mumbled Shulk, getting out a sandwich from his pocket. He took a few bites from it, but the appearance of the sandwich didn't change. _Is that the sandwich he got from Fiora at the beginning?!_ I thought as he ate.

I sighed, leaning against a somehow solid piece of scenery. _Why am I fighting? I_ wondered. _To go back home? Hell, even if I beat this game somehow I might even go back to where I belong! Maybe I should just accept that I'm in the world of XenoBlade Chronicles and won't be able to escape..._

Shulk stood, groggy from sleep. "What are you thinking about, Andrew?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

I stood. "Alright. You know how I told you how I'm not from this world?" He nodded. "I was just thinking... maybe there's no way I can even return to where I came from. Maybe I'm stuck here for forever."

Shulk digested my words. "Hm..." He looked thoughtful. "That's a pessimistic thought."

His words reminded me of people I'd known. It was overwhelming, and I had to close my eyes for a moment.

He yawned, tired. "Ugh. Well, you just have to have faith!" he declared. "If nothing else in my life, I'll try and help you go back to wherever you come from! That's what friend are for, right?"

"To help a friend get back to different worlds because that person's here due to reasons unknown at the moment?"

"Uh... no." Shulk blinked. "Friends are supposed to help each other out when times get tough, you know? I've always stuck to that moral myself..." He drifted off for a moment, before coming back to the present. _What'd he think about?_ I wondered.

"Well, just remember that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to," he spoke. "Reyn, too. He's a really dependable person, you know." He sat down beside me.

"I bet," I responded. _Of all games I have to be stuck in, why XenoBlade?_ I thought suddenly. _I mean, seriously. I haven't even played the game, I just watched Chuggaconroy play it because... reasons, I guess. Why not something like Pokemon?_

Shulk snapped his fingers. "There. That's the expression you have when you're really thinking about something."

"Okay," I replied. I sighed. "Shulk... what did you feel..." I paused for a moment, thinking of how I wanted to phrase this. "What did you feel around your friend Fiora?"

He looked away, sadness immediately flashing in his eyes. "She was always protective of me..." he recalled. "Always looking over me... maybe because I can't cook for the life of me." He smiled. He looked back at me, blue eyes questioning as well now. "Why do you ask now?"

I stood, uncomfortable by his eyes. "Well... it's good to know about history. So that you don't repeat those same mistakes."

He nodded, yawning again. "Yeah... Dickson taught me some stuff about the past for that reason..." He dozed off, sleepy.

I snorted, stretching. _Dickson..._ I thought. _He's going to be trouble... he reunites with Shulk briefly when we come out of the Ether Mine, right?_ I thought. _This could end badly..._

I drew my sword and looked at it. _Huh... kind of looks like Rebellion from Devil May Cry 3..._ I mused, looking it over.

I shrugged, placing it back on my back, thanks to convenient straps found on a red shirt underneath a white parlour jacket, unzipped.

With a sigh I looked up at the stars. _Man... I never used to think so much about my life,_ I thought. _All I cared about was becoming an author... but now I'm in this world I might not even escape from. Why's my life so complicated?!_ I wondered. _Recently, I've been wondering about what the meaning of life is and why humans yearn for friendship... and those are all questions that will never truly have right answers..._

I lay down, the stars shining silently above. I shook my head. _There's no chance of going home if I don't even try to beat Zanza and everything!_ I thought. _Although I found the ending of the game boring, so I skipped over what exactly Alvis says as the Monado..._ I shrugged. _Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine! Definitely no way anyone will die!... Right?_

The question weighed heavily on my mind as I lay there. Soon, I heard something strange and sat upright.

I blinked as something rushed for me. I gasped as whatever the creature was tackled me into a wall. "Ow..." I grunted, getting to my feet. _Crap, it's a... a Homs?!_ The Homs had a cloak, so I couldn't see the person's eyes.

From the edge of my vision I saw Shulk get to his feet. "Huh...?" he mumbled, eyes opening. "Uh... whoa." He drew the Monado. "Wait... so what happened here?" he wondered.

 _THINK LATER!_ I thought as he went into his thoughtful looking pose. "I'll tell you later! Right now, we just have deal with it!" I drew my sword. "Look, we don't want to hurt you," I spoke. Near instantly the Homs rushed at me, sword flashing.

I blocked his slash with Defensive Reversal. I struggled against the Homs, easily overpowering me. "Ugh!" I hit the ground.

Shulk gasped. "Stop!" He rushed forward as the Homs grabbed my sword, stabbing.

I managed to move just enough so that the stab wasn't lethal; in fact it was a glancing blow. Blood came slowly from my cheek.

"You must die!" the Homs spat, using the sword he had originally, ready to stab me.

"Smash!" grunted Shulk, forcing the Homs away, though the strike wasn't lethal. The person had used his blade to block the attack. He caught my blade as the Homs lost his grip on it, handing it to me as I got up. "You okay?"

"Fine," I groaned. "My sword..." I looked at it. Now it was a bit longer. _What caused my blade to change?_ I thought.

The Homs arose. "I _was_ right. Because you're not from this world, your blood is special." He grunted.

"Wait a second... how did you know that?!" demanded Shulk.

"Hmph. I'm not from this world either," he responded. "Just like me, Andrew... an Outsider." He removed his hood.

I blinked. "Okay. Who exactly are you and how do you know so much about me?"

"Me? The name's Simon," he smirked. "I'm human, just like you. You... you're an Outsider, like me."

"That doesn't explain how you know so much about me, though..."

"Yeah? Well, I did my research. I know you've always wanted shotgun gauntlets," he spoke. "You're real special, Andrew. You're not exactly human anymore, now."

 _Then what am I?!_ I thought instantly.

"Andrew... what are shotgun gauntlets?" asked Shulk.

"Really cool things," I responded. "Simon..." _He looks like that character I made in a story once!_ I suddenly realized. "No way..."

"Now you understand," spoke Simon. He turned so that I could see the blade on his back. It was made of really shiny silver. "Not quite how you remember me though, huh?"

"Andrew... what's he saying?!" asked Shulk, not getting what was going on.

"Shulk... I'm gonna have to talk with this guy," I told him. "Be right back." I walked forward, and Simon led me somewhere. I heard Shulk shout after me, but I didn't hear him.

We walked a bit away. "Okay. This makes my world a lot more complicated," I spoke.

He chuckled. "Not like it already wasn't messed up, huh? Why'd you base me on Dante from Devil May Cry anyway?"

I growled. "Get to the point. Why exactly am I special?"

"I'll have to do this," he spoke. "When you entered the world of a game you haven't played, well... that messes everything up. Wasn't supposed to happen at all, but it is easier if you've played the game you enter."

 _Did he just reference every single Self-Insert fanfiction ever?!_ I thought. _Or... maybe anime and things too... never mind..._

"But you haven't," spoke Simon. "Therefore, two things have happened. One, you need to guide your comrades so they don't die the instant they get out of the Mine."

"Wow. I mess up everything, don't I," I muttered, depressed.

"The second thing... some things you've dreamed of will become a reality," he spoke. "I'm first to arrive, so now you get some of my powers."

"Hold up," I responded. "You... are the first? The first of what?"

He sighed. "Some characters from the stories you've created are going to enter this world. When that happens, you will obtain a bit of their power," spoke Simon. He suddenly smirked. "Now you can use your own Soul Trigger." He drew his sword. "I just have to cut you slightly." He lightly cut my cheek, and an aura of power seemed to rise from inside.

"Ugh..." I let out a roar, feeling different. I looked at my hands, which now looked like black, very sharp claws. "This is like yours, isn't it?" My voice was deeper.

"Yeah," replied Simon. "No regenerative powers, though, so be careful. All you get is insane new levels of power and high levels of speed." He stretched. "If you need forget how it was used in the story, it acts like Mr. Dante's Devil Trigger in Devil May Cry 3, with no wings, regenerative powers and it's the Rebellion state."

I blinked, reverting to normal. "Uh... that was a lot to take in."

"Hey, it's hard to explain something I've had for most of the story," he responded. "Have a good day, Andrew. Because it's not getting any better from here." He started to walk away.

"Wait!" I shouted after him, and Simon paused.

"Yeah?"

"What do you mean, it's not going to get any better from here?"

He smirked. "Hey, spoilers are dangerous, pal. Let's just say your worries about a guy that was around the wielder of the Monado are true, and you should be worried." He walked away, leaving me silent.

I sighed. _WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO MY WORLD?!_ I thought, barely managing to hold it inside.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 **I hate auto-correct...**

I returned to Shulk, Reyn and Sharla. They were just starting to wake up.

"Andrew!" called Shulk. I walked over to him. "Mind talking me what that was about?" he asked quietly.

"Really complicated things," I responded. "Come on, let's just go." The weight of my sword had also increased with its length, and thus, I was having a bit of trouble finding my balance.

 _If I'm this powerful..._ I thought. _Then will the game adjust to make things more difficult? Crap, I may have killed every character in this game!_ I thought. _If I find out who did this to me, I am going to stab that person in the goddamn gut..._

Shulk sighed. "Alright, fine. Reyn!" he spoke. "Sharla! Time to go into the Ether Mine, right?"

Sharma arose with a yawn. "Ugh... yes," she spoke. "Remember what I said? The front entrance is probably too heavily protected by Mechon to go that way."

"Yeah, I remember," replied Shulk. He shook his head, groaning. "Ugh..." He staggered for a brief moment. "Whoa..."

I looked at my hands. _I would say that life cannot get any more complicated, but the moment I think that thought everything's going to go to hell, isn't it,_ I thought. _Wait a second..._

A loud mechanical sound came from a nearby location, and a bunch of Mechon stormed outwards.

 _I jinxed the hell out of us!_ I thought, drawing my sword. "Well, this is an interesting start," I spoke.

"That's one way to put it," responded Reyn. "Shulk! Can you enhance our weapons with the Monado?"

"Uh... yeah, just give me a second." He drew the blade, light pulsing from it. "HAH!" He swung outwards as the aura turned purple, the symbol for Enchant appearing on the blade. "There! Let's go!"

I blinked as the other three rushed forward. _Powers... and what Simon gave me... what did he mean?!_ I thought, grunting as a Mechon with a claw swiped at me. I dodged the attack, ducking. "Whoa..." With Stab Strike, the Mechon started let out a whirl, dying.

Shulk slid back from an attack. "Ugh..." He slumped for a moment, before using Light Heal on himself. "These Mechon... they're..." He let out a grunt as another rushed at him, blocking with the Monado.

 _What was he going to say?_ I wondered, using Time Slower as a Mechon rushed at me. _Time Slower is a dumb name,_ I thought. _I'll call it Time Slow instead! Yes, best difference ever._ I used Stab Strike. "Hah-RAH!" My form morphed, and I felt energy flood my body. "RAAAAH!" I let out a roar, slashing. The Mechon was cut in half.

"What is that, Andrew?" gasped Shulk, amazement in his voice as my Time Slow ability expired. Then I saw a Mechon behind him. It was quite small, but it was charging up a laser.

"RAR!" I lunged, as the purple aura from Enchant wore off. But I kept going, and I swung. The Mechon shattered from the sheer force of my attack. "Yeah!" I reverted to normal, exhaustion flooding me. "Never mind. Not feelin' so good."

"Andrew... he destroyed that Mechon even though his weapon wasn't under the effect of Monado Enchant!" exclaimed Reyn.

 _Learn something every day,_ I thought, as Shulk touched something on the Monado. A kanji flashed on it and a purple aura surrounded it. _That looks like Buster from Smash Bros.,_ I noted.

"Shulk... what is that?" asked Reyn, shielding Sharla from a furious barrage of attacks.

"A new way to use the Monado's power," he replied. "With Buster, I can compress the length the beam would usually take with the Art to be more... passive." He swung as a Mechon neared him, and it exploded as he moved away.

"Now, my attacks are a lot more destructive then before. Plus..." He swung the mystical sword outwards, causing a purple aura to surround all of our weapons again. "This way, I can have an active Art and a passive Art affecting just me."

 _What, can he use the Jump Art too, now?!_ I thought, my Slide Edge letting me onto a Mechon. "Hah!" I took the Mechon out, leaping away as another rushed a claw at me. "That's not nice!" I smirked, using Whip Slash to destroy the Mechon. "That it?"

"Nearly," mused Reyn. "Andrew... what was with that transformation earlier?" he asked, amazement in his voice.

"Yeah," replied Shulk, using his Back Slash attack to take down a massive Mechon in comparison to the rest of us. "That... dark form. Did you use Ether somehow as an armour? Ooh, I wonder if the rest of us could..."

I forget that this guy was a bit of a nerd, I thought. "Nah." _Huh... Devil Trigger is kinda like Jak's Dark Eco form, actually..._ I shrugged, and Sharla spoke.

"While there's no Mechon at the moment, we should try and enter," she spoke tightly.

"Alright, fine," replied Shulk. "We can rescue Juju! Let's go!" He withdrew his blade and ran off, leaving the rest of us to chase after him.

"Hm... those Mechon were a bunch of jokers!" laughed Reyn as we ran off.

Sharla and I were silent. "No? Anyone?" Reyn looked mildly down now. "Aw, man..."

I would've swore on my life Sharla smiled then.

...

"So this is the side entrance, huh?" mused Shulk. "Kinda dusty. Well, let's go!" He charged in, though the rest of us kept up this time.

 _This place looks like a puzzle and platforming room,_ I noticed. _WHY?! THE TWO GAMING GENRES I AM THE WORST AT! WHY?!_

"This looks like a room in a game I played once!" declared Shulk. "Let's go this way!"

With the guidance of a young man wielding an awesome sword and wanting vengeance, we met it to a couple of Nopon.

"This mine very complicated," a Nopon told Shulk. "It very easy to get lost."

 _And without Shulk's guidance, no doubt would I be here at the moment,_ I thought, a bit sheepish.

"But you no have to worry!" the Nopon declared. "Just follow glows and you no get lost!"

"Thanks," spoke Shulk. "Ooh, this Nopon's selling things. You guys need anything? I mean, I have some Gold right now..."

The three of us shook our heads, though Shulk got himself some snazzy (and not cracked) googles, which he didn't place over his eyes, but over his forehead.

"Onward!" he declared, and the four of us moved forward, into a large room.

"Guys!" spoke Sharla, eyes beginning to flare up with alarm. "Kill the noise."

The three of us males stopped moving as she crouched. Down the stairs led to a tunnel, and a Mechon slowly moved away.

"A Mechon," growled Shulk, though his voice was thankfully low.

"I can't believe they've taken the mine too!" spoke the sniper, frustration in her voice.

Then her voice held traces of horror. "That means... the Defense Force and everyone else are..." She stood slowly. "Juju..."

"It's alright, Sharla!" spoke Reyn. "Don't panic. It'll be fine."

She turned to face him. "Reyn..."

Though I could see Reyn start to speak, I tuned him out. _Cutscene time I don't care for..._ I thought.

Within half a minute everyone was down the stairs, and I leapt after them.

We ventured deeper into the tunnels. Suddenly, Shulk gave a gasp and headed down south.

"Shulk!" called Reyn as the Monado user began to run. "Where are you going?!" We chased after him.

When we finally caught up, he was before a lake. "I can feel the power..." he spoke. "It's indescribable, but... it's like being at this lake is filling me with power..." He drew the Monado. "HAH!"

The beam pulsed outwards, a green kanji glowing on the blade as a green aura surrounded his feet.

"This symbol..." he breathed. "A symbol for... 'Jump'." He jumped, nearly touching the roof. "Whoa!" As he descended he flipped over, leaping again.

"Cool!" he spoke, as the symbol faded away. Then he turned to face us again, a slight smile forming on his face.

"Let's go."

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **(And please don't ask when Chapter 14 will be up, because I have no clue...)**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

We were walking through the overly complex maze system when a shot of fire was heard.

"An Ether Rifle?" mused Sharla, before her eyes flared up in realization. "Gadolt!" She ran ahead, leaving us males to run after her.

By now, the four of us entered a large room. There were a few Mechon and... a man.

"Otharon!" exclaimed Sharla, gun in hand, leaping down to assist the older person.

"That voice..." He dipped his head up from his cover as Sharla shot using her rifle. "Medic, is that you?!" He grunted, forced back into his cover by the Mechon.

"Sharla!" grunted Reyn, leaping after her. "Wait!" He uses his Driver to force a Mechon back. "SHULK!"

"I know!" He used Enchant, and I leap down as he does. "Shadow Eye!" he declared, before using an Air Slash attack.

I drew my sword, using Defensive Reversal as a Mechon rushed at me. _Now..._ "Hah!" With a shout and Slide Edge I swung around the Mechon, though the initial Art destroyed it. "Useful." I leapt off to evade a laser beam.

"The... Monado?!" exclaimed Otharon. "What are you doing with that sword?"

"Destroying Mechon with it!" shouted Reyn, using his Sword Drive to take down a Mechon.

"Ah..." I saw Shulk's eyes glow blue for a moment, and in that moment, he was totally vulnerable.

Which was when, of course, all the Mechon decided to focus on him. Because it can never not happen that way.

They all just turned. Shulk gave a gasp as he was shot relentlessly by about half a dozen lasers. "UGH!" He slid along the floor, the Monado dropping out of his grip.

"Hey!" Reyn used his Mad Taunt Talent Art. "Come on! Pay attention to me!" As he spoke all the Mechon did, so he guarded with his Driver. "Sharla! Check up on Shulk! Andrew, let's go!"

I grunted as Enchant wore off on our weapons. "Crap...!" I let out a roar, using my Soul Trigger state, using Whip Slash to tear through all the Mechon in an instant. "Ugh!" I reverted back to normal.

"Ow..." Shulk managed to sit upright. "Half those lasers hit my googles. Aw, now it's cracked," he complained.

"Stop whining," spoke Sharla with a sigh of relief. "It saved you, but you're still badly hurt." She shot a rifle round into him, and his wounds faded away.

"Thanks, Sharla," he responded, standing again. "Whoa." He staggered for a moment, before retrieving the Monado.

"Medic," spoke Otharon, back to us. "Why are you here?"

The sharpshooter ignored his question. "Sir... isn't Gadolt with you?" She spoke with a bit of hope in her voice.

The old man stepped forward a bit, and he cleared his throat. "We have much to talk about," he stated.

 _Even though I won't care enough to listen to you ramble!_ I thought.

Otharon turned to look over us. "You'd better come with me."

Sharla responded with something short that I didn't catch, and then the five of us made it to a small room. Shulk, Reyn and Sharla told the Defense Force man our tale so far.

"Hm... so Juju has been taken by a Mechon," he mused.

"Sir," spoke Sharla,impatience emerging in her voice. "What about Gadolt?"

Authors gave a soft sigh before turning to face Sharla. "Gadolt... is gone."

"Gone?!" she echoed. "What do you mean?!" As she spoke I couldn't resist thinking about Justin Bieber's song - STOP. STOP, PLOT THINGS ARE HAPPENING THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT, BUT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN A STUPID SONG.

Otharon then explained what had happened, and pretty much why Colony 6 had gone to hell.

"Only his rifle remained," he admitted, turning towards a rifle. It looked much like Sharla's, but sharper and with distinct markings.

"But he is alive," added Otharon to Sharla's hopeless face. "I can feel it."

 _Yeah, he's alive, but not in the way you think!_ I thought. _MUST... RESIST... URGE... TO... GIVE SPOILERS..._

"We may not be joined by blood, but Gadolt is like a son to me," breathed Otharon. "I'd know if he were dead."

Sharla let out a gasp, closing her eyes. Then she was quiet.

Reyn had a face of seriousness as he glanced at Sharla. "In Colony 9... some of the people got eaten..."

As he spoke dreadfully strong emotions went through the eyes of himself and Shulk. Fear was first, then horror, and finally... regret.

Shulk turned towards his best friend, glaring at him. "Reyn!" Raw emotion flared strongly in his eyes.

Reyn turned to acknowledge Shulk before turning back. "Um... sorry, forget I said that," he spoke quickly, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.

For a moment I didn't get it. Then I did.

"They don't kill Homs right away," spoke Otharon as Sharla looked at him. It was clear who "they" were.

"If that bronze-faced Mechon took him, we still have a chance," he continued.

"Are you sure?" asked Shulk, leaning towards the older man as he spoke.

Otharon looked at Shulk. "Boy, Dunban once wielded that blade. I don't know why you have it, but... forget why I asked earlier. We will need all the powers it can grant us."

"You can count on me to do that," spoke Shulk, clear eyes focussed and ready.

 _I feel lied to... he can't use Monado Purge yet..._ I thought.

"And you." Otharon looked at me. "I saw you take out all those Mechon earlier with one swing. How did you do that?"

"Yeah, especially when Monado Enchant wasn't active," spoke Reyn.

"Through the power of trying!" I declared. "And powers you people can't use."

"Hmph. Well, it's useful," he told me. Then he turned to face the four of us all at once.

"We are heading for the Central Pit," he declared. "That is where they take all the Homs they capture. If Juju is alive, he will be there.

"Gather what you need, then we will move out." He moved away as we nodded.

Shulk looked at the ground for a moment, and I could see his eyes flare intensely. "Ah... what?" He looked at Otharon as the man moved away. _A vision,_ I thought.

"Did ya say somethin', Shulk?" asked Reyn, looking at him.

"Nuh... no," he responded hurriedly. "It... it's nothing. Forget it. Let's go."

Sharla gripped Gadolt's Rifle, leaving her own in the place she took his. "Yes," she spoke. "Let's."

With that, we walked off, following Otharon.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

We moved down stairs, when Shulk suddenly stopped at the top.

"Hurry it up, slowcoach!" Reyn told Shulk, who had a hesitant look on his face.

"What's wrong?" asked Sharla, also looking at the wielder of the Monado.

Otharon simply moved on ahead, a stony look on his face.

Shulk stared at the ground. "What can it mean?" he muttered, seemingly not aware of his surroundings. He then stood up straight, a slight look of alarm flashing through him.

By now, the other four of us had made it at the bottom from the staircases, while Shulk lingered at the top.

I sensed him run down the stairs, a shout coming from him. "No!"

"What's wrong, Shulk?" asked Reyn, turning to look at his childhood friend.

"This battle is for my people," warned Otharon, glaring at the wielder of the Monado. "If you cannot handle it... drop that weapon and go home."

"That's not it!" replied Shulk. "I... um, it's just that..." He was at a lost for words. "Uh..."

"Out with it!" yelled Otharon, anger bursting through his voice at Shulk's hesitation.

"Listen," spoke Shulk, a bit of panic coursing through his face.

 _I feel like that's a reference to Navi..._ I thought, sitting down.

"Maybe we... shouldn't just charge along head face," tried Shulk.

"What?!" shouted the old Defense Force man.

"We've come this far," spoke Reyn, confusion in his face and voice.

Sharla was quiet, watching the conflict between the Colony 6 Defense Force Captain and the wielder of the Monado.

"Um... maybe we should observe them and plan our attack afterwards," spoke Shulk, hurried.

"You insolent..." If Otharon's voice was angry before, then now he was roaring with that emotion. "We don't have that kind of time! You have no idea what these machines are capable of!" He paused.

"I have observed their movements," he growled, turning his back to Shulk. "I've planned this attack for a month!" His voice became deadly quiet. "I know full well what will happen to my brothers and sisters."

"It's just..." spoke Shulk, his voice attempting to be soothing towards the old man.

"We're going!" declared Otharon. "Fall in, Medic." He then went off, and none of us followed.

"Sir!" spoke Sharla, before turning to Shulk. "What's gone into you?" she questioned.

Shulk stared at the ground, unwilling to meet Sharla's accusing voice or her wondering eyes. "I..."

Reyn gave a small sigh, turning to look at Shulk. "A vision again?"

Shulk didn't say anything, and Reyn walked towards the blonde and folded his arms. "Don't tell me, another death?"

Shulk didn't look up at his friend as he spoke. "Yeah."

"I knew it. The Shulk I know doesn't chicken out for any old reason," replied Reyn, unfolding his arms.

I stood, leaning against a wall to watch the scene before me take place.

"This vision..." mused Sharla, looking at Reyn as he looked at her. "Was it like before?"

 _I want to say something about that last sentence is wrong,_ I thought.

"Kind of," admitted Shulk. "I... saw an underground Ether river. And Otharon..."

Reyn folded his arms again, looking somewhat thoughtful. "Huh... an Ether river."

He then unfolded his arms and turned his whole body towards his friend. "Ya know what? That sword lets you see the future." His face hardened. "All of that power... and you still keep getting it wrong."

"Better to use my brain then my fists!" retorted Shulk, looking at his friend.

"Shulk... I may rush in head first, but at least my head's good for something," he spoke.

"Getting beat up so Shulk can defeat the enemy?" I asked.

"Yes!" replied Reyn, and we shared an air high five.

"OK, OK. I get it," replied Shulk, turning his back.

"Oi, I ain't done yet!" replied Reyn. "You're useless on your own, Shulk, that's why we're here."

Shulk turned back to look at Reyn. "Reyn, I..."

"Next time you have a vision, tell us," interrupted his friend. "We'll share the burden together, as a team."

Shulk turned his face sideways, though his body still faced Reyn. "Uh..."

"If you see a future ya don't like, we change it together," declared Reyn. "Got it?"

"Got it," responded Shulk, in a real monotone voice.

"What was that?!" demanded Reyn. "Say it like ya mean it!"

"I've got it, alright?!" snapped Shulk, looking at Reyn. "Next time I get a vision, I'll tell you!"

"He's right, Shulk," broke in Sharla. The wielder of the Monado turned to look at her.

"The both of you saved Juju," she continued. "With all of us working together, we can do it again."

 _I feel forgotten..._ I thought, standing.

"I believe in you," declared Sharla.

Shulk breathed out, looking at the roof for a moment, before looking back to look at Reyn and Sharla. "Thanks."

He looked like he was thinking for a moment, but then rushed off. The three of us followed.

...

"Hey, Ether crystals!" exclaimed Reyn, rushing forward. As he ran, a bat descended, but in a drunken manner.

"From a textbook I was reading once... that's a Drunk Vang," mused Shulk, drawing the Monado.

"Are you telling me bats can get intoxicated?" asked Sharla, using her Thunder Bullet Art. Her face was one of disbelief.

"Well..." Shulk dodged as the bat lunged for him. "The proof is right there in front of your face."

I used Stab Strike and it fell, dead. "Wonder what kind of alcohol it was on."

Shulk shrugged, sheathing the Monado. "Well, we killed it, so we'll never find out."

"NOW IT'S REYN TIME!" shouted the male. Sharla laughed, and we headed off.

...

"Looks like this door has to be opened from another place," noted Shulk.

None of us said anything, instead moving around until we saw it.

The rest of the Ether Mine.

"It's massive!" grunted Reyn, looking over the edge. "And it goes down for so long..."

Shulk moved away and hit a switch. "Look like it opened that door from earlier," he noticed.

"Then let's go back so we can go down," replied Sharla.

We did so, destroying the Mechon on our way that crossed our path.

Shulk led us through the door that had been shut before, and Sharla moved in front of him.

"This... is Central Pit," she spoke.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 **Do not expect chapters as long as this one in the future...**

Reyn scratched his head, walking up to the edge. He then turned to face us. "Where are they? I don't see anyone."

Sharla ignored his question, looking towards a lift. "We'll take that lift down," she spoke.

Reyn cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready to smash some Mechon!"

 _And ready to forget about your earlier question?_ I thought.

"Yeah! Juju, Otharon... we're coming! Let's go," spoke Shulk, and the four of us got on the lift.

The lift descended downwards quickly, and we came onto the first level of the Central Pit.

Mechon instantly noticed us, and rushed at the four of us.

Shulk drew the Monado, using Enchant. "Stream Edge!" he shouted, rushing to battle the metallic foes.

I grunted. "Hah!" With Whip Slash a Mechon fell, dead.

But they just seemed to keep coming.

I used Stab Strike to take down another Mechon, and Reyn yelled as he used Sword Drive to take down another.

"There's so many!" panted Shulk, using Enchant again. "Huff..." He slid back from an attack. "Ugh..."

"Shulk!" shouted Reyn, rushing towards him. At that moment, a Mechon struck him with a powerful boxing glove. "UGH!" He was thrown away, hitting me. We were forced over the edge we were battling on.

 _The ground..._ I thought. "Ah..." I used Time Slow, stabbing my claymore into the wall I was sliding off of. Shulk and Sharla were above, yelling as Reyn descended. "Crap...!" I managed to grab his Driver, slowing him as well.

"UGH!" We hit the bottom after what seemed like a literal five minutes. "Ow..." I groaned. "Shoot."

Xord laughed. "Well, well! Look at who comes tottering down!"

"This went so well..." I muttered. Reyn readied himself beside me, as Enchant wore off on our weapons.

"There's no way Shulk and Sharla are gonna be able to get down here," cursed Reyn.

"I only managed because my Talent Art let me slow down time. Still hurts, though," I winced. "So now we have to hold out..."

"Juju!" shouted Reyn, noticing the kid. "Damn it... he's in the air, with... something."

I sighed, dodging as a Mechon rushed at us. "Reyn! Change your Driver to defense mode! We'll just have to hold out without Shulk or the Monado for now!" I hid behind the Homs as he did so.

He grunted as all the Mechon barraged him with dozens of various blows. "My Driver... won't be able to take this much damage for the amount of time it'll take for Shulk and Sharla to get down here!"

I cursed. "I hate Mechon," I muttered. Xord laughed, swinging his hammer. "Reyn, DODGE!" I pulled him with me, and the two of us barely evaded the swing. "Crap..." I let out a roar, morphing into my Soul form. "RAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I swung with great force, destroying the nearest Mechon with ease. With Whip Slash I destroyed a dozen more, the explosions seeming to ride along my blade.

"Hm..." Xord swung his hammer down on me, and I somehow met his swing with equal force. "An Outsider..."

"An Outsider? Andrew, the heck does he mean?" asked Reyn, blocking from a few more Mechon.

I grunted, forcing the weight of the hammer away from me. "HAH!" I used Slide Edge, just slightly penetrating the Mechon's armour. I got on top of the faced Mechon and grunted as my Soul Trigger expired. _No..._

"Heh." Xord knocked me away, and I hit a wall, dazed. "That was an interesting form, Outsider! But now it's time to die!"

"Not for him." Someone with azure blue hair emerged. "Hi! My name's Storm!" She waved at the Mechon.

 _Wait... I wrote about her in a story! Though she wasn't the main character..._ I thought.

"Who are you?!" He swung his hammer towards her, though Storm met the swing by raising an arm and firing a shotgun shell.

"Someone who uses shotgun gauntlets, actually," she spoke, firing behind her to rush at Reyn, destroying the Mechon attacking him in a second. "Hello!"

A sigh came close to my ear. "Storm..." He sighed. "Andrew. Remember me?"

"Rain," I recalled, getting back to my feet. "Simon told me that others from my stories would be..."

"Yeah!" replied Storm, zipping back. "Man, those guys are like Go-"

Rain grunted. "Here." With his blade, he cut my cheek. "Some power. It'll come in handy later."

"Silence!" roared Xord, swinging his hammer again. Rain met the attack, morphing into his own Soul Trigger state.

"Rain, is that really needed?" asked Storm, using her Trigger to slow time, slamming punches on the foe.

 _They're... hurting it!_ I thought. _Are they managing to do that because their weapons are from another universe?! Actually... where does that put my claymore?_

"Andrew!" grunted Reyn. "There's still a few Mechon left! Any Arts that can inflict Break?!"

"No," I replied, cursing, dodging an attack. "Storm, Rain..." I looked over. The two fighters were nowhere to be seen, though Xord had taken considerable damage.

"Heh heh heh..." laughed Xord. "I... I've been getting hungry!" He raised his hammer to squish Reyn and I at the same time.

I grunted, swinging once at a Mechon. Though my blade was deflected, energy filled me, and I used Time Slow to get Reyn and I out of the way. "Whew... that was real close."

"And we're not done yet!" Reyn defended against a Mechon. "When are Shulk and Sharla gonna show up?!"

"When they can! Look!" Thanks to my glasses letting me see, I saw Shulk and Sharla take down some Mechon, and an arm opened to let them gain passage to get closer. "Just a bit longer, and Shulk will be here with his Break Arts and the Monado!"

"Damn...!" swore Reyn, pushing back a Mechon. "How the heck are we gonna last?! The faced guy is all ready to get us and more Mechon are getting out every moment!"

"JUMP!" roared Shulk, leaping down to join us. "UGH!" He landed, hard. "Light Heal!" He restored his health, using Stream Edge to clear the Mechon in the immediate vicinity. "Are you guys alright?"

"Where's Sharla?!" grunted Reyn, shifting the current mode of his Driver as Shulk used Enchant.

"On a lift. I hurt my legs bad," winced the wielder of the Monado. "Ready?! Let's do this!"

Sharla leapt from the lift, Enchant appearing on her rifle. "Shulk, Reyn, Andrew!" The four of us evaded separately as Xord attacked. "Ugh..." She shot a round at the weaker Mechons. "Topple that thing!"

"Something we can only do if we perform the Arts in a rapid succession... a Chain Attack!" declared Shulk.

"Heh... welcome to the bouquet hall!" declared Xord. "Tonight... the main course will be you!" he laughed. "And if I still have room afterwards, the brat will make a fine dessert!"

Shulk's face turned into one of anger, looking at all the blood stains around to clearly indicate the deaths of many Colony 6 residents.. "Murderer!" he spat.

"I am Xord, your host tonight," he declared.

"Xord?" gasped Shulk. "So... so you have a name?!"

Xord laughed. "That's what they all say... can't say I remember it myself."

"What's he talking about?" wondered Shulk, holding the Monado towards the Mechon as Sharla covered her face with a hand.

"Oh yes! It's good to see some fresh meat on the table!" Xord slammed his hammer on the ground, and a shockwave burst outwards, freezing all of us in place in a second. "These colony folk... just don't fill me up!"

Sharla bent over, pain flashing across her face. "Gadolt... the others..." She closed her eyes due to the agony.

Xord laughed. "Come on, boys! DINNER... IS READY!" At his word, all the Mechon rushed at us.

Sharla glared at the incoming army of Mechon. "I swear I will not stop..." She pointed Gadolt's Rifle at one. "...UNTIL I SCRAP EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!" she screamed, firing a round. She moved forward, each shot taking down a Mechon each.

Reyn and Shulk charged forward, taking out the Mechon that had been rushing for Sharla. "Get behind me!" warned Reyn.

I walked forward. "Xord..." I looked at him. "Reyn! Shield up!" I ran, and Reyn lifted his Driver as I stepped on it.

As I leapt off I let loose a howl, morphing again. But this time, wings sprouted from my back, and I glided over to the faced Mechon.

"Reyn! Sharla!" called Shulk. "We are Homs, and we will not stand here just waiting to be eaten!" he roared, moving forward.

I swung my sword as Xord swung his hammer, clashing in a shower of sparks. I shoved the hammer away, though it rushed back at me just as quickly. "RAH!" With Defensive Reversal I deflected the blow so strongly Xord slid away.

I landed on his shoulder, using all my offensive Arts. Xord shook me off as I was in the middle of Whip Slash, and I fell with a grunt, my very form flickering.

"Not bad, kid!" laughed Xord. "But do you still have enough to block... THIS?!" He swung his hammer upon me, and I blocked. The ground beneath me began to break apart. "No, you can't!" I was sweating heavily, reverting to normal.

"Reyn, Sharla! CHAIN ATTACK!" roared Shulk. "Air Slash!" His Art was deflected but the signs of Break appeared on the Mechon. "Reyn! You're up!" he grunted.

"Wild Down!" shouted Reyn. As Topple appeared on the Mechon, causing him to fall on his side, he shouted. "ANDREW!"

"Cross Slash!" I grunted, the Daze appearing on the Mechon. "Sharla!"

"Metal Bullet!" she grunted. "Guys, cover me! I have to cool down my rifle!"

"Shield Bash!" shouted Reyn. "Alright!" He moved over to cover Sharla, shoving a Mechon away.

"Andrew! Let's..." Shulk gave a gasp. "If I can knock him into that river of Ether somehow..."

"Think later, Shulk!" I grunted as the huge Mechon recovered. "UGH!" He knocked all four of us away in the same moment somehow.

Shulk panted. "NO!" he roared, raising the Monado again as Xord moved forward. "We'll... never get to... huff... Juju at... this rate!" he cursed. "I... have to think of something!"

We all turned our heads at a strange sound, and Otharon emerged, in a Mobile Artillery Unit, attacking Xord.

"Feeling hungry, eh?" grunted Otharon, slamming blows on Xord, knocking him ever so closer to the river of Ether.

"Chew on this, scrap-for-brains!" shouted the old Defense Force man. Xord fell, nearly falling into the river. Otharon continued to pound mighty blows on the Mechon.

"Boy!" he called back. "Go and save Juju, now!"

Shulk gasped, no longer frozen from the scene. "Otharon, no! Don't do it!" he yelled.

Reyn and Sharla moved to try and rescue Juju, while Shulk was left to consider Otharon's safety.

"At this rate, even if we save Juju..." he panted. "Otharon is going to...!"

He closed his eyes, and gasped, looking at Sharla and Reyn as they got to Juju.

"Change... the future..." he breathed, looking around.

His eyes settled on a piece of machinery I had no clue about. "Yes... that's it! Andrew!" he shouted. "Raise the back of your sword, I'm going to jump off it!"

There was no time to protest, he was already running at me. I raised my claymore, and Shulk leapt on it, the symbol for Jump flashing on the Monado.

"Hah!" He landed near the piece of machinery. "Huff... gotta...!"

"Old man... you think you can stop me?!" laughed Xord, pushing Otharon back and recovering.

"No... I don't. But! I can do this!" Otharon struck the base of the tower... thing (NAILED IT!) and Ether burst onwards.

An explosion burst on the bridge, causing Xord to begin to fall.

"Let's see if that Mechon body of yours can withstand a river of Ether!" declared Otharon.

"Juju, wake up!" called Sharla, desperate, looking at her younger brother.

"Sharla, leave the rest up to Shulk, Andrew and I!" spoke Reyn, before rushing to his childhood friend.

"Hang in there, ya old fool!" shouted Reyn, running.

As Xord slid downwards he grabbed onto the front of Otharon's unit, which tried to shove the Mechon into the river of Ether.

"Fall, you damn machine!" shouted the man, attempting to shove Xord into the river.

Finally, Xord did begin to fall. But the footing was so unstable Otharon began to fall as well.

"Otharon!" screamed Shulk, who had managed to get the machine working. "Hold on!" He zoomed forward, deploying the crane on the machine to stop Otharon from falling into the river of Ether.

Shulk, in the machine, was forced to move forward. Though he managed to stop Otharon from falling.

"What a shot!" commented Reyn, rushing up to inspect the scene. I moved forward alongside him.

"Boy..." spoke Otharon, and the two looked at each other.

"We can change our destinies," declared Shulk. "Otharon... you won't die here. Not today."

Suddenly, the crane on the machine began to break down. It was apparent that the unit Otharon was in weighed too much, thanks to Xord hanging onto it, in the river of Ether.

"You cannot defeat me..." he spoke, red eyes flashing.

Otharon began to move out of the unit.

"Get out of there..." grunted Shulk, strain in his voice. "Quick...!"

Instead of taking Shulk's advice, Otharon armed himself with his rifle.

"It's... giving way...!" gasped Shulk, sweat very visible on his face.

Otharon aimed his rifle at Xord.

Reyn gasped as the older man did so. "He's gonna...!" He moved forward.

"It won't be long, my friends..." grunted Otharon. "But not before... Gadolt!" he shouted. "This one's for you! This... is for the people of Colony 6!" He fired the unit part Xord was hanging onto, and he completely submerged in the Ether, screaming.

At the same time, the crane broke, and Otharon fell towards the Ether.

Shulk gasped at the sight. "But I..." What seemed like millions of emotions flashed through his face in an instant.

"This... this wasn't supposed to happen!"

Shulk looked at the older man, screaming. "OTHARON!"

Otharon's face made it clear he was thinking of Gadolt.

Reyn let out a yell, throwing himself over the edge into the river of Ether.

"REYN!" screamed Shulk, getting out of the machine. "No...!" He threw his hands at the ground, an expression of being absolutely crushed coming over his face.

But then there was a sound. Shulk raised his head with another gasp. He looked over the edge.

Reyn had grabbed Otharon's rifle and another piece of the crane. "That was close..." he breathed.

Shulk gasped, throwing himself back into the machine to pull Reyn and Otharon back up.

"Ya... you wanna hurry up?" grunted Reyn to Shulk. "My arm's about ready to drop off."

"Thank you..." spoke Otharon, as Reyn helped him back up.

"Save your thanks for Shulk and his vision," responded the younger man. "As soon as I saw a river of Ether, I knew this was the place."

...

"Juju..." breathed out Sharla. "You're safe now."

"What did I tell you?" spoke Reyn, towards Shulk. "You and me, we can make anything happen!"

 _Improper grammar!_ I thought.

"Yeah," admitted Shulk, fully turning towards his friend. "You were right."

"A boy capable to change the future..." mused Otharon. He then turned to face Shulk. "I stand corrected, young man. You have done a great deed here today." He nodded towards the blonde.

"I really didn't do anything," replied Shulk, scratching the back of his head. "I... I couldn't have done it without you guys."

"Tell me," spoke Otharon. "Your vision saved me. What what of the others? What happened to Gadolt?"

Sharla still knelt, though she flinched slightly. Shulk looked over her. "Uh..." He turned back to Otharon and shook his head, a few traces of self-loathing in his eyes.

"I see..." responded Otharon, voice now very solemn as Sharla walked off. He gave a brief sigh. "Medic!"

"Yes?" she replied, turning back to the Defense Force man.

"That's Gadolt's Rifle," he breathed out. "I know he would want you to have it. Take good care of it."

Sharla looked at the gun she held. "I... will."

Shulk and Reyn shared a glance.

"Time to head back to the camp now, right?" yawned Reyn, rolling his arm a bit.

"We'll have to give Juju some medical attention," noted Shulk.

Reyn nodded towards if friend, and Sharla began to speak.

"There's a freight elevator on the next level," she announced. "From there, it's an easy route to get out of the mine." A bit of worry crossed her face and peered into her voice. "As long as it's working..."

"We'll know that when we get on it," declared Reyn.

"You make me laugh," smiled Sharla, though the smile on her face was obscured by the face palm she had.

"Well, I'm right, ain't I?" replied Reyn, a bit of defiance coming into his voice.

Sharla walked up to Reyn. "You're absolutely right," she spoke, happiness blooming upwards slightly in her voice. "We need to move on and stop worrying about every little thing." She turned. "Come on, guys."

With that we went off towards the elevator, Otharon following while Sharla carried Juju.

"This..." Shulk pressed a button, summoning a lift. "It works."

"That's a relief," breathed Sharla, all of us getting on the lift to speed upwards. "Now, we have to move around to get to that elevator I was talking about."

"Then let's go!" declared Reyn, following Sharla as she carried Juju.

...

"There," grunted Shulk, boarding the elevator. He pressed a button as all of us boarded. "Good. Works perfectly." He turned to face Sharla and Reyn as he spoke.

Otharon was supporting Juju, to one side of the elevator.

"See? What'd I say?" Reyn turned to Sharla, smugness oozing in his voice.

"We're all impressed," she responded, her voice suggesting that her mind was focussed on different things.

The elevator sped upwards, and with a jolt, it suddenly stopped.

"Hey!" exclaimed Reyn. "Why have we stopped?!"

"I don't know..." A flash of blue flickered in his eyes, very faintly. "But... I think we're about to find out..."

I grunted. Xord leapt onto the elevator. "You..." I drew my claymore.

Shulk gasped at the sight, green Ether floating around the massive Mechon.

"Not him again!" complained Reyn.

"This one doesn't give up!" commented Sharla, a touch of disgust in her voice.

"This is our chance, guys!" declared Shulk. "I think the Ether river burned off most of his armour. So the Monado..." He unleashed the beam, moving forward. "Hah!" He dodged the hammer swing and managed to pierce the armour. "Yes!"

Xord let out a roar, throwing Shulk away.

"Ugh!" He recovered. "Yeah. The Monado can hurt him now. So..." He used Enchant, the purple aura surrounding our weapons. "Let's do this!"

Reyn and Shulk ran forward, while Sharla moved back to cover them. I walked forward, using Defensive Reversal to counter a hammer swing.

Shulk let out a yell, his Back Slash Art causing him to grab Xord's attention. "Ugh...! Shadow Eye...!" He gasped, thrown back from a fierce swing of the hammer. Thankfully, Xord then turned to Reyn, letting Shulk recover with Light Heal.

"SWORD DRIVE!" shouted Reyn, sliding back from the force of his own attack. "Dang... still not enough...!"

"Heal Bullet!" declared Sharla, healing Shulk fully. "There you go!"

"Thanks, Sharla!" The Monado's wielder moved forward. "Air Slash!" he shouted, though Break was not inflicted.

I used Time Slow as the massive Mechon swung at me, leaping atop of the arm. With a roar I used Whip Slash, causing a solid wound across the arm. "Hah!" He used Stab Strike, before Xord used his other hand to palm me away. "UGH!" _Can't move... did he Topple me?!_ I thought. "Shoot...!"

"Andrew!" With Reyn's help I got back up. "You okay?"

In truth, I felt like throwing up my gut. But I nodded. "Reyn, dodge!" I dove, shoving him at the same time. The hammer swing rushed by, so close.

"Thanks." He got back up, the purple aura fading on our weapons. "No... Shulk!"

"I know!" He used Enchant again, sweat becoming quickly visible on his forehead. "Huff..." He dodged a hammer strike, tripping. "Ah...!"

"Darn! MAD TAUNT!" shouted Reyn, forcing Xord to focus on him. "Ugh!" He changed his Driver to its defensive mode, blocking the hammer swing. "Sharla!"

"I know!" She moved over to Shulk, and it looked like they had a swift pep talk, with Shulk nodding at the end.

I swung a few times, letting power build up within me. "Shulk!" I called. "Let's end this now! All our most powerful Arts, in a single Chain Attack!"

"Alright!" He got behind the Mechon. "Everyone, use anything you've got to increase the power of your Arts! Shadow Eye!" he panted, struggling to regain his breath.

"MAGNUM CHARGE!" shouted Reyn, veins beginning to pop in his face. "I'M READY!"

I smirked, concentrating for a moment. "RAH!" I morphed into my Soul form.

"HERE I GO!" shouted Shulk. "BACK SLASH!" Xord screamed from the impact of the attack.

I let out a roar, flying to the head of the Mechon and using Stab Strike to force my blade to penetrate the face of the large foe. I leapt away as Reyn used Sword Drive to force the Mechon away.

Xord was bent over, the Ether dripping from its body.

He let out pained yells and groans, struggling to move towards Shulk. Slowly, step by step, he was close to the blonde.

He straightened and raised his hammer at Shulk. "Still... HUNGRY!" he screamed, throwing it upon Shulk.

Sharla fired a single round, blasting the arm off. As if in a chain reaction, other parts of Xord's body also began to explode and fall off.

Xord fell on his back with another groan of agony and pain.

"D... did we get him?!" panted Reyn, looking exhausted by the usage of his Magnum Charge Art.

Shulk, Sharla, Reyn and I moved forward.

Xord was groaning with suffering, eyes flickering, nearly falling off the elevator. "Got... to hand it to you...

"You... beat me without... even releasing... the true power... of the Monado..."

"The... true power of the Monado?" echoed Shulk. He pointed the blade's beam at Xord. "What do you know about the Monado?!" he shouted.

"Sorry, boy... can't tell you that. You'll have to find the truth on your own..." His whole body shook as he spoke.

"The truth?"

"When I became... what you see now... my eyes were opened..." If Mechon were capable of breathing, Xord's breathing was slowing rapidly. "Was... a good ride... while it lasted..."

"When you became like this?!" Shulk glared at Xord, eyes flaring with anger and frustration. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"

Shulk moved away as a thruster on Xord's body began to kick in.

"Time's up... pipsqueak... I'M GONE!" He fell and toppled over the edge of the elevator.

"Xord!" shouted Shulk as the Mechon fell. As the body fell, there was a great explosion at the bottom.

Shulk came to the elevator's edge, and Reyn grabbed him. "Get back!" He pulled Shulk back as the explosion raced upwards, nearly burning Shulk.

The elevator was at the top of the mine now, and we raced out from the explosions, panting.

Shulk gave a gasp as he was thrown forward by an explosion in the mine.

All of us fell, gasping the fresh air that covered our lungs now.

Reyn turned, carrying Juju, towards the mine. I also turned, and a bunch of smoke came from the exit we had just come from.

"We smashed that bronze idiot," grunted Reyn, setting Juju down by some rubble, Sharla beside him. "Now... the people of Colony 6 can rest in peace."

"Yeah..." responded Sharla. She looked at Juju as he groaned. "Are you alright?"

"S... Sharla?" mumbled Juju, turning towards his sister.

She breathed out. "Thank the stars you're alright."

"Where are we?"

"Just outside of Colony 6," she told her younger brother. "Thanks to Shulk and Reyn we destroyed that thing."

 _I feel forgotten... again..._ I thought, standing.

She paused for a brief moment. "But not everyone made it."

"Oh..." Juju stood. "I'm so sorry." He turned towards me. "You tried to stop me, and I..."

"Did not run me over," I replied. "It's fine. Thank the real heroes."

"What?" Shulk turned towards me. "Andrew... 'thank the real heroes'? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget about it," I growled, as rain fell.

Shulk sighed briefly. "There's still no sign of that Mechon with that metal face," he grunted.

"He's the one we're really after."

"Yeah," replied Reyn, looking at the ground for a moment.

"Hope I'm not interrupting!" laughed a malicious voice. Behind Shulk and Reyn was Metal Face.

"It's him!" exclaimed Shulk. "Metal Face!"

Mumkhar sneered at us. He flew around (kind of like honey bee, actually...) as a bunch more Mechon popped out.

"Not just him!" cursed Reyn as we all drew our weapons. "A bunch of Mechon that look like Xord!"

Mumkhar landed on the ground. "Pathetic!" he spat. "After all that talk, Xord was defeated by worthless maggots like you."

Reyn groaned. "Aw, this one can talk 'n' all!" he grunted.

"I can talk all right..." smirked Metal Face. "And I've got a good memory." He tried to mimic Shulk and failed. 0/10. "'Fiora! Get outta there! Get out!'" He stamped his feet around, before glaring at Shulk again.

"Her screams were music to my ears," he sneered. "...as my claws slide right through her soft flesh. Like a hot knife through butter!"

"I've never tried that," I spoke. "Does that hot knife cut through that butter easily?"

Every single object stared at me for a moment, as if checking if I were making a joke or not. I was not, I was genuinely curious about the answer.

Mumkhar burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha! Monado boy, you've got some stupid companions!"

Shulk's face contorted, the length pulsing from the Monado. His hands shook.

"Talk all you want." He began to run. "Because... THOSE WORDS WILL BE YOUR LAST!" he screamed.

The Monado met a claw, and Shulk slid back from the attack.

"The Monado?" sneered Mumkhar. "Heh, it's been a while!

"But you should know by now. THE MONADO CAN'T STOP ME!"

He swung his claws at Shulk, but I blocked the attack, thanks to my Time Slow Talent Art and Defensive Reversal. The both of us were forced back from the impact.

 _He's so much stronger than Xord!_ I winced, my arms shaking from the impact. _My Defensive Reversal Art and Time Slow just barely managed to block that! How is there such a difference between them?!_

"Shulk!" grunted Reyn, as he and Sharla rushed up to the wielder of the Monado.

"I'm gonna..." Shulk's voice was full of hate and anger. It was clearly visible in his eyes.

"Any way you slice it... the Monado isn't gonna work, boy!" roared Metal Face.

"Boo! Worst pun ever! 0/10!" I called, smirking as Mumkhar growled.

"The Monado didn't work then, and it won't work now!" He sneered. "So, Red Coat, your sword won't hurt me either."

I grunted as he lunged with his claws. "Well... I've got something..." I morphed again, flying off to block the attack. "RAH!" I stabbed with Stab Strike, but my sword bounced off. "UGH?!" _No way...!_

"Ha ha ha!" Metal Face pierced me with his claws, before throwing me into Reyn, who caught me. I reverted to normal.

"Time to cut you all down to size!"

"Andrew, are you alright?!" grunted Shulk, the Monado's light pulsing outwards strongly.

I groaned. "That hurt." I collapsed as Reyn set me down, and he helped me up as Sharla healed Shulk and I with her Heal Round Art. "Thanks..."

She nodded. "Here he comes!" she spoke, as Mumkhar's claws began to rush at us, screaming through the air.

Suddenly, there was a burst of what seemed like a laser, and Metal Face flinched. "WHAT?!"

From up the cliff a bit, there was Dickson. He smirked, a moustache not as fancy from Drayden's from Pokemon glistening in the rain.

Otharon gave a gasp, realizing who it was. "That's..."

"Now! Let 'im have it, beast!" shouted Dickson.

Dunban ran out from behind Dickson and down the cliff, shouting the whole way. With a single strike a Mechon fell, and he used his momentum to slash down another, before rising to face Shulk, Sharla, Reyn and I.

"Dunban!" exclaimed Shulk, looking at his former mentor.

Reyn was in amazement. "How did you...?"

He held his katana over his shoulder. "Sorry to have kept you." He glanced over Sharla and I. "Companions of Shulk and Reyn?" The two of us nodded, and so did he. "Alright.

"Looks like we were just in time," he mused.

Metal Face moved back as a bunch of Mechon began to storm us. Dickson rushed down and was beside us.

"Alright! I'm ready to take down some Mechon!" declared Reyn, Driver ready.

The next few minutes were intensive and impossible to remember. Shulk used Enchant before rushing off, and Reyn and Sharla and Dunban rushed forward to meet the onslaught of Mechon.

As for me, I swung and stabbed and rolled and destroyed a ton of stuff. I was feeling good for a while, using Slide Edge to take down a Mechon.

"Yeah!" I leapt off the Mechon, crouching for a moment.

In that moment, I felt a gun barrel to the back of my head.

"Now, don't move," grunted Dickson. "If you stay alive... Lord Zanza may not be able to come back.

"Sorry... it's time to die."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I froze. _There...!_ I used Time Slow and managed to move so that the bullet shot from the gun grazed my cheek. I leapt away from Dickson. "Zanza, huh?" I grunted. "This escalated quickly."

"Andrew, what's wrong?!" shouted Shulk, rushing by. Dickson growled slightly, turning away from me.

"Nothing," I replied, keeping my eyes on Dickson. "Hmph." I rushed off, impaling a Mechon with Stab Strike. "Mumkhar is-" I froze. _FREAKING SPOILERS!_

"Mumkhar? Who is that?" asked Shulk, using Air Slash to defeat a Mechon.

"Uh... nothing!" I replied, blocking an attack. "Shulk...!"

"Back Slash!" He took it down. "Also... what was up with you and Dickson?"

"Nothing to worry about," I grunted, as Shulk used Enchant again.

"Everyone, regroup!" he shouted, and the six of us all got into a line facing the Mechon.

"There's no end to them!" grunted Reyn, shoving a Mechon down with his Driver. "Where are they comin' from?"

"I can take the smaller ones," breathed Sharla, cooling her Rifle. "But the rest will be like fighting Xord all over again!"

"If only the Monado would work on these things!" exclaimed Shulk, frustration oozing out from his face.

"Focus, Shulk!" shouted Dunban, struggling against a Mechon.

"Look out!" shouted Reyn, tackling his childhood friend. Shulk and him barely evaded an attack from a Mechon's scythe. I ran up to it and used Slide Edge to get on top, slaying it from there.

I leapt off with a breath. _So tired... I think I overused my Soul form..._ I panted, heavily.

Another Mechon rushed at Shulk and Reyn, who were currently down in the grass.

"Reyn!" gasped Sharla, as her Rifle finished cooling. She shot down the Mechon.

Mumkhar laughed. "Look at you all!" he sneered.

"Look at this... metal brain!" grunted Dickson, close to the faced Mechon. He sends a blast of Ether at Metal Face, who blocks it with his claw.

"That it, gramps?!" smirked Mumkhar, the Ether flickering among his claws.

Dickson spat on the ground. "Running out of ideas here."

 _That guy wants to kill me,_ I thought. _Dickson... but if I say anything like that... what'll happen to the storyline?_

"You may be able to block a projectile..." Dunban ran up to Mumkhar. "But... can't you block this?!"

He swung at Mumkhar, blade grinding against a claw, sparks flying from the fierce clash.

Mumkhar laughed some more. "Tell me!" He threw Dunban away, and Shulk rushed to him. "What does it feel like to be such a pathetic hero?!"

"Are you OK, Dunban?!" gasped Shulk, sweat visible and running down his face.

"Aw... does it hurt?" mocked Metal Face. "I bet it does.

"It hurts because the Monado won't work for a bunch of losers... LIKE YOU!"

"That last part is something I say!" shouted Reyn, using War Swing to destroy a circle of Mechon around him. However, then Enchant wore off. "No..."

Mumkhar swung at Dunban, who leapt back, the attack not touching him. "What... what are you?!" panted Dunban.

"Save it... I ain't interested.

"You little maggots need to learn... when you've been stepped on!"

Mumkhar began to form a massive ball of energy, aiming it towards us.

"That light..." breathed Dunban. "Everyone! Fall back, now!"

"Won't change a thing! I'm gonna wipe you out... once and for all!" roared Mumkhar.

Just before he launched the energy ball at us, green lightning struck, and a Mechon fell.

"What?!" yelled Mumkhar, the ball fizzling out. He glared upwards. "A Telethia?!"

The Telethia flew high, then descended, shooting out some more snazzy green lightning, destroying more Mechon.

"Now's our chance!" shouted Shulk, leaping onto Metal Face and swinging the Monado. However, it was sunk into Metal Face's armour a bit.

"What...? You'll pay for that!" shouted Mumkhar, beginning to raise a claw.

"Shulk!" shouted Reyn, running forward. I tried to concentrate but my focus slipped.

"ROAR!" Mumkhar swung his claw at Shulk, but Reyn got in the way with his Driver. The weapon ground against the claw, but it shattered, and Metal Face's claws sank into Reyn's body.

Shulk gasped. "Another one..." His eyes pulsed as he saw his friend. "REYN!" he screamed.

Reyn threw up blood from Metal Face's attack. "UGH...!"

"NO!" screamed Sharla, shooting a healing round into Reyn, though it barely did anything.

"Reyn!" shouted Dunban, rushing forward.

"Ha ha ha! DIE, ALL OF YOU!" Metal Face swung his other claw at everyone else.

"RAH!" I felt darkness flood my senses, time slowing down. I rushed at the faced Mechon, and my blade met with the claw.

"RED COAT!" howled Mumkhar, as we clashed. "An Outsider!" Everyone was forced back as he generated a shockwave.

"You're the reason why Monado boy isn't dead!" laughed Mumkhar. "So... you're first!"

With Defensive Reversal I screamed, getting the next claw attack with equal force. The area around began to break apart from the power both of us wielded. Time Slow expired as we clashed, multiple times.

"He's... he's going toe-to-toe with that Mechon!" exclaimed Dunban, disbelief in his voice.

"REYN!" screamed Shulk, and I could somehow sense Sharla and Shulk healing the Homs, though to little effect.

"RAH!" Mumkhar unleashed a ball of energy like the one earlier, and I let out a grunt. It was massive. So massive. If I dodged, it would easily wipe out everyone else.

"So long... Red Coat!" shouted Metal Face, releasing it at me.

"RAH!" I roared, grinding my claymore against the attack. I heard something begin to crack. Something I held.

At the same time, the ball of energy was cut apart.

"RAH!" Mumkhar swung at me, and as I blocked, my blade broke in two.

"UGH?!" I reverted to normal as Mumkhar forced me back. "Damn..."

"You got lucky, kids...!" growled Mumkhar. "Next time... your heads are mine!" The thrusters on the bottom of his body kicked in, and Metal Face flew off.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" screamed Shulk, racing after the faced Mechon, light pulsing from the Monado.

"Shulk!" grunted Dickson. "You gotta know... when to call it quits."

"But...!" Shulk paused at the cliff, watching Metal Face fly off.

"Dickson's right, Shulk!" grunted Dunban. "Let it go. We'll get another chance. Besides... Reyn is heavily injured."

Shulk panted for air, as rain continued to fall. He ground his teeth together. "Fine..." The Monado stopped pulsing light.

"That thing saved us..." breathed Dunban, looking at the Telethia above. "Whatever it was."

"Guys, Reyn's wounds won't stop bleeding!" exclaimed Sharla. "And we don't have the supplies to treat him at the camp! The best I can do is close these wounds a little bit!"

Dickson breathed out. "No choice, then. We're gonna have to return to Colony 9."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Shulk breathed out, studying the Monado. "Why can't the Monado hurt faced Mechon?"

I yawned, leaning against a wall. _I shouldn't tell him... he'll find out soon anyway..._

He sighed in frustration, strapping it back to his back. "And Reyn's unconscious from what Metal Face did. But alive." He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself. "And Sharla's looking after him... it'll be alright."

I let out a grunt. "Don't you think we should train for next time?"

"Training isn't going to do much when even the Monado can't hurt that Mechon!" pointed out Shulk.

"Well, in general, then." I stood. "Besides... my sword broke. I have the two halves here, but... I'm no good at this."

Shulk stretched. "Pass." I gave him the two halves. "Broken so solidly I can't put it back together," he spoke. "But... I can get the hilt attached to a new blade. Would that work?"

"Yeah." I let my thoughts drift off. Thinking about my former life and what I had done.

"And there." Shulk handed me a new sword, with the same familiar hilt, but with a straight steel blade part attached. The blade was silver with a thin line of red along one side.

"This looks kinda like my old one," I noted.

Shulk groaned. "Well, it's a lot more powerful. See those really small two slots in that hilt?"

I looked at the hilt, and there was indeed two slots. "Yeah."

"You can put certain gems in there," he told me. "Ones that increase the power of the sword... durability... a bunch."

"Huh... thanks," I replied. He nodded, looking over the Monado again. "Can we test this out?"

"For sure," he replied. "I have to get out of the lab sometimes or Dickson will get kinda mad at me."

 _That guy is going to kill me when there's no one else around, I can feel it,_ I thought.

"So let's go." Shulk led me out of the lab, into the harsh daylight of Colony 9.

We walked up a hill, and managed to get to the park at the beginning of the game.

The blonde drew the Monado but didn't release its light. "Let's go."

"Not using the light of the Monado?" I questioned, drawing my new sword. It was a bit heavier and longer than my previous one, and I swung it around a little. "Comfortable."

"Nah... I've been trying to also use a fighting style that unleashes the beam for certain attacks, so that I have more range then what enemies think I have," he replied. "Like this." He thrust the blade towards me, and unleashed the beam.

I used my blade as a defense, sliding away. "I see." I let my sword rest over my shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked. As I nodded he rushed forward, the Jump symbol appearing on the blade.

I grunted as he leapt for me, the beam appearing to stab at me. With Defensive Reversal I deflected the stab. "Then..." I rushed up to Shulk, using Stab Strike. He guarded with the Monado, and he slid away.

"Alright..." Shulk's aura around his feet vanished away. "Buster!" He swung at a horizontal at my feet, the beam extending. The Monado Buster attack burst out, and it rushed at me.

"Whoa!" I leapt, dodging. At that moment, the beam vanished and the symbol for Speed appeared on the Monado. "Crap."

"I learned to compress this Monado Art too!" he ran at me, swinging. I used Time Slow and dodged the attack. "Huh?!"

"Too slow!" I swung my new sword, lightly cutting Shulk's cheek. He grunted, extending the beam to gain more range as we clashed.

"You're keeping up with the compressed Monado Speed?!" he exclaimed as we clashed multiple times. "Is that your Talent Art?"

"That's one way to put it." With one last clash we slid away from each other, Speed and Time Slow wearing off.

Shulk smirked. "Well, I'm not done yet!" The Monado flashed red. "Smash!" A red aura surrounded him.

I breathed out. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" I morphed with a shout, an unsuppressed smile coming over my face. "RAH!" I lunged, and we met with equal force.

"So strong..." grunted Shulk. "But..." He used the normal Speed Art, dodging all my slashes. "Hah!" He used Stream Edge, which I blocked, starting to fly up. "That way, huh...?"

"Phew..." I let my form of power release, landing on the ground. "That was fun."

"Nice, Andrew!" declared Shulk. "We should practice like this more!"

"Hm... someone able to equal Shulk while he uses the Monado?" mused Dunban, approaching. "Interesting." He drew his anti-Mechon weapon. "Ready for a quick spar?"

"In a moment, please," I breathed out. "Thanks, Shulk. This new sword is way better then my last one! How long did you spend on it?"

"About an hour," he replied. "You were just daydreaming over there while I worked on it."

I grunted, turning towards Dunban. "My name's Andrew."

"Dunban," he replied, settling into a ready stance. "Before we spar... what was that form you just took?"

"Well... complicated things," I replied. "And I don't care for the history of it. All that matters is that I have it."

Dunban grunted. "Alright, then. Here I come!" He lunged. "Gale Slash!"

"Whoa...!" I blocked, sliding back, and he leapt for me. _Not good...!_ "Ugh!" I used Whip Slash to deflect his Electric Gutbuster. I leapt away, and he followed. "You don't hold back!" I commented.

"If one holds back they never get better!" He used Worldly Slash, and I used Stab Strike to deflect the slash, forcing him off balance. "Hm..." He recovered. "Tempest Kick!"

"Ugh!" A blast of Ether struck me, and I hit a wall. "Ow..." I used Defensive Reversal to meet his stab. "Hmph!" I ran, using Slide Edge, but he reflected my stab as I slid past. I breathed out as I got up. "Worth a shot."

Duane turned around from me. "Serene Heart," he stated. "Now... THUNDER!"

"Ugh!" I gasped as he forced Daze on me. "This has gone well."

Shulk winced. "Dunban! You really aren't holding back!" he called.

"Of course not. I never held back against you either, did I?" He ran up to me, sword drawn back for a killer stab.

I cursed. "Darn... RAH!" I morphed into my Soul Trigger form, my counter strike causing him to stagger from the amount of power. I stabbed at Dunban, who managed to evade with a leap back. "You're not getting away that easily!"

"Hah!" He used Soaring Tempest, and I used my sword to slash it apart. "Ah...!"

"Wow!" exclaimed Shulk, on his feet from the excitement. "Dunban's awesome, and Andrew is...!"

Our blades clashed again, and I stepped back, using Whip Slash to force him off balance. "RAH!" I howled, using my left hand to grab the swordsman by the throat and pin him to the ground. "GRR...!"

"Geh..." grunted Dunban, slashing. He kicked me away. "Hm..."

"Ugh!" I reverted to normal as I got up. _What was that?!_ I wondered. _For a second..._

 _I actually wanted to kill him._

Shulk tilted his head somewhat. "Dunban, are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine..." He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment. "Andrew... tell me, what is that other form? It appears to grant you insane new heights of power, speed and the ability to fly. But you didn't hold back at the end there. Is it overpowering?"

I sighed. "Well..." I turned. "I don't know. At the end... I just wanted to kill you."

Shulk's face became one of surprise and shock, while Dunban's remained calm.

"I see," replied the older swordsman. "Can you control it next time?"

Vivid images of unsuppressed times came into my mind, and I... "I don't think so."

"Andrew." Someone sat landed on the ground. "Guess who I am."

"Alder Stormwood," I replied. "Damn, time for another story character to do things?" Sarcasm flooded my voice.

"Only because Simon told me to," he grunted. "Man, in terms of a fair fight, that guy is good with a sword."

"Who are you?" asked Shulk, puzzlement coming into his voice.

"Alder," he replied. "And the hero of the Homs is here as well... hm..."

Dunban grunted. "How do you know me?"

"Storm was hanging around here earlier," spoke Alder. "Before she came to the Mine with Rain."

I groaned. "My life is a messed up."

Shulk blinked. "I suppose you could view it that way."

"Anyway! I'm here now to help you out," spoke Alder to myself. "You've been using that Soul Trigger form too much. So now, if you assume the form now and use it for too long, a dark... well, demon, really, will try and take control of your body. So that's fun!"

 _This sounds a lot like Bleach, with Ichigo having to control his inner Hollow,_ I thought.

Alder tossed up two handguns and caught them. "So use that form right now. My guns are loaded with bullets capable of summoning them demons with ease."

"Wait... I never gave you that kind of power," I spoke. "And what happens after it's summoned?"

"I would say plot convenience, because I shot Mr. Simon with them when he rampaged," grunted Alder. "But anyway... I don't know. And when it's summoned, you have to kill it, of course!"

"What is even happening anymore?" asked Shulk.

"Go see your friend Reyn," spoke Alder. "I peeked in the window, and that sniper woman looking after him, was hugging him. He was conscious."

"Really?!" Shulk raced away. "JUMP!" He leapt over the edge.

Dunban grunted. "Well, come over to Reyn's place later," he told me. I nodded and he left.

"Alright... ready?" asked Alder, his guns pointed at me.

"I guess..."

"Oh. Wait a sec..." He threw up the gun in his right hand and used the large blade on his back to cut me slightly. "There." He placed his hand on his back and caught his gun. "That demon is what lets you morph into your Soul Trigger form. You'll have to fight it without. Guess what I just did."

"Give me some of your power so I can kill it?"

"Yeah. It's called the Soul Morph. Truly, you are the best at coming up with power-ups."

"Go away," I muttered. "RAWR!" I morphed, and now my jacket seemed to become a snazzy coat. Still red. "UGH!" I grunted as Alder shot me. A dark aura began to move away, materializing into a demonic person looking like me.

"There! Now, go kill it!"

My wings were gone now, and I used my sword to meet the demon's stab. "RRGH...!" I slid back. "Ugh!" I dodged shockwaves launched from the demon's sword. "Why can't I do that?!"

"Because you haven't unlocked 20% of your true Soul Trigger power so far! But if you beat this thing, you can launch shockwaves if you want! It's not hard to fight, I did it in my fight against my older brother, remember?"

"SHUT UP!" I lunged, and our blades met. "Stab Strike!" I staggered as the demon countered with the same attack. "Okay... now THAT'S funny." I readied myself again.

The demon growled, flying into the air and sending more shockwaves and I used Whip Slash, and they rushed back at the foe, which groaned as they hit him, falling.

"RAH!" I used Slide Edge and impaled it from below. "Yeah!" I then stabbed, but it was gone and behind me. "Wait..." I used Time Slow and our swords met again. "C'mon, really?! The same time slow too?!"

"Heh." Alder stood. "Fine, I'll help you." He stabbed through the demon, and it screamed with agony, fading away. "There. Now, force your hand into the middle of that darkness and condense it."

I did so, focussing my will into it. "RAH!" The dark aura vanished, as did my form. "Huh?" I blinked. "That was short."

"You should be able to use some of your Soul power now," spoke Alder. "Try doing a shockwave attack at me. Just focus energy into your sword."

"Okay..." I held it in a reverse grip like with Defensive Reversal, and an aura condensed on the sword. "Hah!" I swung at Alder three times, orange waves of speeding energy racing at him. "Cool!"

He dodged all three with ease. "And now, you have a Soul Morph and Soul Trigger in one transformation." He began to move away. "Maybe I'll see ya around."

"Thanks, Alder!" I called, and he waved. "I... I'll call that... Aura Wave, I guess. Why not." I shrugged, placing my claymore on my back.

Now, I felt calm. No churning inside me for the first time in days. It felt awesome.

"Phew..." I walked off. "Crap. I have no idea where Reyn lives..." I paused at the realization.

"CURSE YOU, LIFE!"

 **Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 **Quick note on Andrew's current Arts and stuff... (NAILED IT)**

 **Stab Strike- Inflicts Bleed**

 **Cross Slash- Inflicts Daze if target is suffering from Topple**

 **Defensive Reversal- Can counter any ONE attack**

 **Slide Edge- Rush up close and stab from underneath foe**

 **Whip Slash- Inflicts damage, horizontal range**

 **Aura Wave- Long-range attack, launches shockwaves from sword (up to three times in a row)**

 **Talent Art: Time Slow- Temporarily slows time down around the user**

 **Soul Trigger- Transformation which increases offensive power, greater speed and the ability to fly, and after obtaining the Soul Morph, even greater offensive power and speed boosts**

I gave a sigh. "Ugh..." I entered the house and everyone sat on a couch. "Reyn. How are you feeling?"

He groaned as he stood. "That Mechon..." He paused, bandages underneath his shirt. "It's tough. I've got to get stronger so I can bash that tin head in!" he declared.

"Calm down, Reyn," spoke Sharla. "If your wounds open you're still liable to bleed to death."

"OK, fine," he muttered. "Shulk!" He turned to his friend. "Can you make me a new Driver?"

The blonde yawned as he stood. "Yeah, I can. But I'll have to go out for some materials to make it." He grunted. "Andrew, Dunban! Mind coming with me?"

I was silent, following him outside the door as Dunban followed.

"You know..." I turned to the older swordsman. "You're real good in a fight. I didn't realize how strong you were." I stretched out my hand. "You have my respect."

Dunban shook my hand. "And you're a strong combatant, as well. Good to know you're on our side."

"Thanks..." I paused as Dunban walked past. _Alder... Rain, Storm and Simon... all fighters..._ I sighed, before walking on to follow Shulk. W _hat will happen next?_

...

"That was fast," I grunted. "So now we've got all the stuff for a new Driver for Reyn?"

"Sure do," replied Shulk. He groaned. "Tired..."

By now we were in front of the lab, and he walked inside.

'Dunban!" called Dickson, and I froze for a moment at his voice.

"Dickson!" he replied. "I suspect that within three days, we will be able to head out again."

"Hm... yeah," replied the old man, and I turned to see the man staring at me. I blinked, and he turned away.

 _That guy tried to kill me so Zanza has a greater change of doing stuff... damn my lack of interest in the ending of XenoBlade!_ I thought, with a sigh. Maybe I'll... I walked into the lab, where Shulk worked on a piece of metal.

"Andrew," he spoke, looking at the complex piece. "What's up?"

"Uh... nothing." I looked up as footsteps came down to descend into the lab. I turned around. "Reyn?"

"Andrew," he spoke, grunting. "Geez, Sharla..." He paused. "Never mind. Shulk, how's the weapon coming?"

"Well, I'm trying to make it more durable than your first Driver so this is a big challenge so far," he replied.

I walked out as Reyn spoke, starting to get distracted in my own thoughts.

 _What am I fighting for?_ I thought. _To escape this world? But..._ I sighed. "Ugh..." I looked around, where most of the rubble having to be cleared after the Mechon attack mostly cleared.

I drew my sword and looked at it for a moment before placing it back on my back.

Of course, something attention-grabbing had to take up my time, and thus, something appeared.

From the sky, it looked like a Homs, landing on the ground with ease. "Whoa!" He grunted, cloak covering his eyes from my view. "Andrew... an Outsider."

"Wait... what?" I drew my sword as he swung, barely blocking the slash. "Okay... this escalated quickly. We can't talk?"

"Hell no," he smirked. "I'm a person. A mere, now paid to kill you. Apparently, because... you could prevent Zanza's reign or something." He shrugged, moving back. "I don't know. But my employer really wants you dead."

I blinked. Everyone around was staring. "Great. Something else that wants to kill me."

"Oh, trust me. Alder tried to help you, but not enough for this!" The male stabbed his blade in the ground. A dark wave of energy burst outwards, and I leapt, barely dodging. Everyone else within 30 metres and in plain view were on the ground. I grunted.

"Now... no one else can interrupt your death." He lunged with a stab, and I used Whip Slash to deflect it. "Make it a challenge, Outsider!" He punched the ground and a blast of dark power forced me away.

"Ow..." I grunted. "Ugh!" I rolled away as he swiped. "Damn it," I muttered, as our blades met, sparks flying.

"Ha ha ha! Eat this!" The foe's blade was surrounded by dark energy, and our blades met, with him overwhelming me with ease. "Come on... show me that new power you've got."

I grunted, recovering. "Hah!' I concentrated and used Aura Wave at him. The foe swung, and a massive dark shockwave overpowered my smaller ones. "Whoa!" I moved away. "The hell are you?"

"A person with the order to kill you." He lunged with a lightning fast stab, and I grunted, using Time Slow to meet his stab. "Not fast enough!" he shouted, swinging just as darkness surrounded his sword, and I used Defensive Reversal as a counter. "RAH!" He was surrounded by a dark aura and sped up, our blades meeting.

"Come on!" I groaned. "Can you slow down time or something too?!"

"Ha ha ha!" He and I clashed, with him easily deflecting my Stab Strike. "Come on, morph into your stronger form! C'mon!" he shouted, forcing me back as me time slowing power wore off and his aura faded away. "You'll never beat me without it, you know."

I arose. "Ugh..." I evaded a slash. "Hah!" I used Whip Slash, with him deflecting my attack before slashing me away. "Well, this has gone well."

"You're dense and sarcastic," he noted. "And a real idiot, you know."

"Shut up." I sent more shockwaves at him, with the foe slashing them away. _There's nothing else left..._ "Fine." I let out a roar, my form changing. Our blades met instantly. _He's...!_

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" laughed the male, throwing up his sword and concentrating dark energy in his grasp. "RAH!" He sent it at me, though I slashed it away. "Touchy, eh?" He caught his sword and sent a shockwave at me.

"RAH!" I rushed around, flying at him. Our swords met, fierce. "How are you keeping up with me?!"

"Two simple things." He overwhelmed me and slashed me a few hundred times in a moment. "I'm just that awesome... and your attack pattern is just top predictable, man. I mean, really. Just charging ahead like a fool?"

I reverted to normal. "Well... that was fast," I groaned, rising again. I blocked a slash. "Ugh..."

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk, emerging from the lab. "What...?" He drew the Monado, the beam extending as he used Buster to slash at the foe.

"Too slow!" He deflected the swipe and slashed up Shulk. "Get down. I don't have orders to kill you." He turned to me. "You aren't even half the swordsman I thought you were."

"Dang it," I replied, using Aura Wave to send more shockwaves at the enemy. He used dark energy in comparison, negating the shockwaves. "Ugh...": I barely dodged his stab. So fast...

"You know what?" The foe whipped out two handguns. "I'll end this right now."

"NO!" Alder descended, firing bullets from his own guns to deflect the foe's shots. "Spencer..." he growled.

"Ha ha ha... so you do remember me, eh, younger brother?" smirked the man. "That guy... Andrew, there. He's not gonna make it. I haven't even needed to morph or teleport yet."

"Damn it," I cursed. "Should've known. If those from my stories are coming in to help me... there should be those who also want to kill me. It has gone very well."

Alder panted. "RAH!" He lunged, teleporting behind Spencer. "Andrew!" he grunted, sweat running down his face. "Did I ever kill this person?"

"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I never got that far."

"But because you're the main character, of course you're going to beat me!" Spencer forced Alder back. "I'll be back, Andrew. And next time... Alder won't be there to save you." He and Alder were gone, just like that.

"God no..." I grunted. "Shulk. You okay?"

He groaned, rising slowly. "What was that?"

"Something capable of killing us all..." I cursed. "We have to get stronger somehow."

"Yeah. For that Mechon..." He looked down at the ground, and I stared at the sky.

A bird fell by and flew away.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"RAH!" he roared, rushing at Reyn, who blocked the slash. Dunban struck in a high-speed string of fierce slashes and strikes, all of which Reyn's new Driver blocked with ease.

"Is all you're going to do is block, Reyn?!" shouted the older man, and Reyn shoved back at him in that moment, causing Dunban to stagger. "Hmph!" He leapt to dodge Reyn's Sword Drive Art, and their weapons met again.

"Huff..." breathed Reyn, as Dunban leapt away again. "Huff..." He wiped sweat from his forehead.

Dunban sheathed his blade. "Take a break, Reyn. Don't overexert yourself."

"Al... alright..." he panted, placing his Driver on his back and sitting.

"Huh..." I looked outwards. "When are we going to set off again?"

"Two days," yawned Shulk. "Dickson told me we're gonna have to go to Satorl Marsh."

Sharla cleaned Gadolt's Rifle. She was silent, looking up at Reyn.

 _I don't really know these people,_ I thought. _They're video game characters. But... who am I, then? What am I? I've been called an Outsider... but what is that?_

 _Am I human anymore?_

"Andrew," called Shulk. "You look like you've got a bunch on your mind."

I sighed. "One could say that."

Dunban looked over. "Would you feel better if you talked it out with us?"

In the two days since... disturbing events had occurred, Dunban had treated me almost like Shulk and Reyn.

But I wasn't like them. I didn't belong here.

"No." I shook my head. "This is something that only I can go through." I stood. "I'll be back in a sec."

"Andrew..." Shulk seemed to have to stop himself as I walked away.

...

I gave a long sigh, alone. On a cliff.

 _I want to see them again,_ I thought. _All my friends... maybe my family... that kind of sounds like something an abridged series would sound like,_ I suddenly thought. _I miss them..._

As I thought that thought everything came at once. All the thoughts... dark and easily as strong as Mumkhar.

I closed my eyes. Painful memories surged over me, threatening to spilt me in half.

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind."

I flinched, turning around. "Dickson..." I growled, hand on my sword's hilt.

"Relax," he breathed, smoking. "What you did just then, walking away from Shulk... that's sealed everyone's fates.

"Everyone will die, and Lord Zanza will come back."

"Shut up!" I hissed in a real deep voice, sword drawn. I used Aura Wave to send a shockwave at him, but he dodged it with ease.

"You're rattled," he smirked. "Unsure. All because with that outside help from your story buds are way more enemies.

"You'll never get to see any of your friends again. You're a fool."

"No duh," I replied. "I always knew I was dense and an idiot. I tell myself that every single day."

"Yeah? Well, one of us could hurt your friends from wherever you came from. He could hurt them good." He paused, probably for dramatic effect. "He could hurt them real good."

"Stop..." I growled, left hand in a clenched fist. "Stop it..."

"Alvis is the Monado, you know. He can change the fate of any living thing."

"SHUT IT!" I yelled, morphing as I lunged for him, my sword meeting his gun barrel as he fired. "RAH!" I took to the air, launching shockwaves in rapid succession. He evaded each one, and our weapons met in a shower of sparks.

"You're weak!" spat Dickson, our faces close to each other. "To just keep up even now, you need to wield that form, Outsider!"

"Ugh!" I slid back as he overwhelmed me. "Huh..." I lunged, using Stab Strike, with Dickson blocking. "RAWR!" I forced him back.

"Don't forget... if you survive to fight me, it's at the end of your journey," he sneered. "No way are you strong enough now to beat me. See?"

The next thing I knew was that blood was exploding from my body as I reverted to my normal form.

"What...?" I gasped, collapsing. "Crap doodles..." I coughed up blood.

"So pitiful," laughed Dickson. "But if I let you live now, you'll become a threat to Lord Zanza... assuming you survive that long." He aimed the barrel of his gun at me.

"Game over."

"GUH!" I gasped with agony as bullets penetrated me, until past a dozen were in my body. Consciousness was fading, so slow...

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Dickson, out loud. "No one's here to save ya now, Outsider!

"You're going to die, right here and now!

"You'll be the reason why Shulk and all of them die, fool! Because you came into their world!"

I groaned. "Are... are you saying... you're not apart of their world?" I managed.

"Hell no," he smirked. "Of course not. My world... well, is whatever Lord Zanza says it is."

I panted. "Damn you..."

"So since you're unable to even lift a sword anymore, all you've got left is to curse me?" Dickson chuckled. "Funny, Outsider." He fired another bullet into me, and I felt it rip through me.

"Huff..." I coughed again. _I can't..._

 _I guess... I really won't be able to see them again... all because this douche is going to kill me right here..._ I gasped for oxygen.

 _I'm sorry, Julia... Joel... I'm about to die right here._

Dickson laughed his evil laugh, walking up to me. The barrel of his gun was up to my head. No chance he would miss.

"You know... you did really good," he spoke. "Managing to dodge my bullet back when Metal Face turned up again. But you don't even have enough energy to use your time slowing ability."

He was right. I didn't have close to enough energy.

Dickson threw his cigar away, as it was spent. "Not too bad, kid.

"But now it's good-bye."

 **I've made a poll. (Which I will probably never do again...)**

 **Title: Should Andrew die in Chapter 21 of the XenoBlade Chronicles fanfiction, From Another World?**

 **1\. Andrew is saved somehow.**

 **2\. Andrew dies, AND CHAPTER 21 IS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE FANFICTION**

 **(The poll is on this site, by the way...)**

 **Also, I will be taking some time off this fanfic! That's it. Nothing more.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 **Pokemon reference times!**

I coughed. The world seemed to be darkening, intensive as Dickson fired another few rounds into me. "Ow..."

"Still got enough energy left to talk, eh?" He laughed aloud, picking me up. He dangled me over the cliff. "I probably will regret letting you go, eh? Well... not like you can do anything now."

I gripped his arms weakly. "D... damn it..." In front of me was a massive blur.

"Well... see if you can survive... this." He stabbed me with my sword and dropped me.

I fell. Into water. Then everything ceased to exist.

...

I coughed. Wherever I was... it was a bit too dark to see clearly. "What...?" I tried to move, but intensive pain flared through me. "Ugh!" I fell on my back. My vision adjusted, and I noticed that my sword was still in my body. "Crap..."

"Finally," huffed a voice. "Awake at last, I see."

I groaned. "Huh...?" I looked in another direction. "Oh... hello." I wasn't close to a large source of water where I could've come up from being beaten by Dickson, but my sword was still in me. Weird.

The princess folded her arms, staff in her grip. "Well... that is a serious injury you have there... what is your name?"

"Andrew." I grunted. I felt dead tired, but maybe... "Right... RAH!" My form flickered for a moment, and I took out the sword as I reverted to normal. "Ow..."

"What was that?" Ether appeared into existence above her palm. "Hm?"

I stabbed my blade in the ground, using it to support myself as I stood. "Honestly... it's something you don't need to concern yourself with." _She would never understand..._

As Melia moved away, probably to talk to the knights nearby, I looked around.

There was a ton of forest. An absolute TON of it.

 _This has to be Makna Forest,_ I thought. _So I skipped Satorl Marsh? Huh... wonder about Shulk and them... I even forgot about Satorl Marsh for a while there... don't really like it... it's dark and... never mind..._ I managed to stand upright, placing my sword on my back through convenient back straps. Red jackets rock, and even more than white ones.

"Ah!" shouted a knight, as a Telethia dropped in from the sky, kind of like Brave Bird from Pokemon X and Y. Except it probably didn't take any recoil damage.

"Ah!" gasped Melia, thrown aside as the Telethia landed, giving a massive roar.

As the Telethia moved a sword swung high in the air and stabbed into the ground.

"Lady Melia!" called a knight. "Withdraw to the Nopon village and let us handle this beast!"

"No, Aizel!" she responded, strong in her words. "Do you really expect me to leave you, run away and save myself?"

"You're a princess," I spoke, moving up from behind her. I groaned, stiffness in my entire body. That, and I really hurt all over. "Do you know what would happen to Alcamoth if you died? Huh?" _I hope I'm not wrong with this..._

She glared at me for a moment, before turning back to the knights. "Well?"

"Permit us this once, Lady Melia," replied the same knight. "It is our honour and our duty to protect you with our lives."

She began to shake her head slightly as the knight continued. "Do not fear for us. Flee!"

 _Now... whenever a character says a line like that, you know he's going to die,_ I thought.

"I will not," she declared. "I cannot return to the capital with this monster still standing!"

"He told you to go to the Nopon village!" I snapped, as she clearly didn't see the merit of the knight's words. "NOT TO ALCAMOTH!"

"Silence!" hissed a knight, as he battled the Telethia. "Do not talk to Lady Melia like that!"

"What's going to make me?" I asked, somewhat sarcastic. Just a touch of sarcasm.

At that moment, the Telethia glowed, a ball of energy looking like a Metsu Hadoken from Street Fighter condensing. Then it spread outward in a wave attack.

The knights faltered, and Melia gasped, shrinking down to try and avoid the attack. I grimaced, as the attack somehow missed me.

Then the knights began to fade away under the force of the attack.

"Aizel!" screamed Melia. "Hogard!" Then it dove for her, and she looked at it with a gasp.

I grunted, using my sword to block the blow with my Defensive Reversal Art. "Rah!" I roared, and it slid off to fly above. "Phew."

The Telethia circled as Melia slowly got up again. "Th... thank you." Melia stood up straight again.

"Don't thank me," I muttered, as she began to glow with white light. "Huh?"

"Aizel... Hogard... Garan..." _Hey, that's almost a Fire Emblem name!_ I thought suddenly. "Damil...!"

As she spoke the names of the knights the light around her grew stronger.

"Bestow the light of your life unto me!" she spoke, determined. The light focussed at the top of her staff and shot at the Telethia.

As the Telethia was struck from the blow, a resulting explosion burst outwards, rapidly rushing at Melia.

"Hey...!" I let out a shout, and time slowed down, though the explosion was still racing at the princess at an alarming rate. _Are my powers not as strong because I'm weakened...?!_

I shook my head. _Now's not the time to think about that._ I rushed forward, grabbed Melia and ran off, just outside of the explosion's complete radius as my Time Slow power wore away.

"Wow," I breathed. The Telethia went flying through the air, and the sight of it made me laugh. "Ugh..." Pain flared through me and I flinched at it. "Ow..."

I looked at Melia to find that she was now unconscious. I groaned, placing my sword on my back again.

"Now... how the hell am I going to get to Shulk and them again?" I mused.

I groaned as loud roars ripped through the forest. "Great..." I placed Melia against a fallen tree, which was massive, and drew my sword as some seriously weird creatures came along at me.

...

I panted, gasping for air as I leaned down, sitting against the large fallen tree. "This... forest... is a... bunch of... crap..."

At least a dozen animals had attacked me by now, thankfully never more than two at a time, but still so quickly it was draining. And Melia still hadn't woken up yet.

To top it all off, I was now bleeding due to the effort I was using up and from my earlier wounds.

I groaned as I heard heavy footsteps from the other side of the fallen tree. "Ugh..." I arose again, and a dino roared at me. It stood on two legs and was about five times my size.

"Huff..." I grunted with exhaustion as I blocked its claws with my sword. "Ugh!" I went flying as it used its other hand. "Ow..." I arose with a pant. "Huff... hah!" I used Aura Wave to send a shockwave at the beast, causing it to stagger. "Huff..."

While my next intention was to go up to the beast and stab it, hopefully, my legs gave out from under me. "Ugh..."

"BUSTER!" shouted a voice, and the beam of the Monado suddenly appeared through the beast.

"Phew..." I managed to stand with the support of my sword. "Hi... Shulk..."

"Andrew! Are you alright?" he asked, looking me over. "No, you're not," he decided. "Sharla! Andrew needs some medical attention." His eyes went over Melia as Sharla came forward. "Who is she?"

I grunted. "Thanks, Sharla." I managed to stand upright. "Her? She's..." _Spoilers or not?_ I paused for a moment. "I... don't know." _Messing with the plot in which... my god, I just realized something._

 _This game is like a more awesome adventure than Life Is Strange!_

"Andrew. Good, you're alive," spoke Dunban. "Dickson told us that you had fallen from that cliff when Shulk came along... said he had a vague vision of you in danger."

"Well, being in danger was correct," I muttered. "Geez... how long has it been?"

"A... week," stated Shulk.

 _A week?!_ I thought. _How the hell am I still alive, if my sword was still in me that whole time?! Also... hungry..._

"In my vision, I saw you in a forest, and Dickson informed me it's probably Makna Forest," he continued.

Sharla looked at Melia. "Grey area around..." she mused. "Looks like... there was a massive discharge of Ether."

 _That light was a blast of Ether?_ I thought.

"If I can find some Ether crystals... I can shoot them out of my rifle and... bring her back to consciousness," continued the sniper.

"Alright. I saw a lake nearby. I'll go get some crystals," declared Shulk. "Andrew, coming with me?"

I grunted. "Sure." I followed the blonde as he walked off in a direction.

"Here," he breathed suddenly, and I almost walked into him. Somehow, I had failed to notice that the area around the two of us had changed drastically from forest to a more marshy area.

"There's some Ether crystals Sharla can shoot over there."

"Then let's go get them," I told him. I still felt stiff. And now, really hungry.

"Right." Shulk rushed forward, with me following more slowly. He collected the crystals and stood up straight.

"There we go," he declared, holding up a small leather bag almost glowing with the Ether inside it. "Some Ether crystals collected."

He then gave a small gasp, looking behind me. I turned to see Alvis standing there.

"Who... are you?" asked the wielder of the Monado, moving around me to look closer at the Homs.

Alvis gave a slight, almost sly smile, turning towards Shulk. His eyes glanced over me for a moment, and he gave a nod. "Hello there."

"Uh... hello..." responded Shulk, as Alvis walked by him. He leaned close to me for a moment.

"What you saw in that dream is true," he murmured. "Though they have survived for now, they will not if you don't journey with them."

I grunted, stepping back from Alvis as he turned towards Shulk.

"How unusual." Alvis peered in for a closer look at Shulk. "It is quite rare to see a Homs in this region."

Shulk stared at Alvis. "I..."

Alvis chuckled for a moment, standing up straight. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here, in that case."

He moved to the other side of Shulk, who turned to face the Homs. "Then permit me to introduce myself. My name is Alvis." He took a grand bow as he spoke.

"Alvis?" repeated Shulk. "Um... my name is..."

"It's Shulk."

Alvis looked at Shulk with another sly smile. "Isn't it?"

The blonde took a step back in surprise. "Wha... how did you know that?"

Alvis looked away from Shulk, towards the sky. "Wielder of the Monado. Defender of Colony 9.

"The hero that has every Mechon running."

 _That is such a lie and you know it,_ I thought.

He looked back at the game's protagonist. "You're famous amongst all Homs."

Shulk looked at Alvis. "I know you from somewhere..."

I leaned against a wall with a soft sigh. Cutscenes had way longer pauses in real life then in the game.

Alvis turned away as Shulk stared. "They're here."

"Huh?" responded Shulk.

"The Monado emits a particular Ether wavelength in its ground state. Namely, when it is not in usage," explained Alvis. "It must have drawn them."

Shulk looked at where Alvis was looking and gave a gasp as more stinking Telethia screamed, rushing towards the three of us.

Shulk ducked, just dodging the Telethia using its Brave Bird attack. "Whoa! What are they?!"

Alvis looked at the flying beasts, as one of the Telethia circled back to try using Take Down at Shulk.

"Alvis, get out of the way!" shouted Shulk, drawing the Monado as the Telethia rushes at him. "I'll deal with this!"

I stopped leaning against the wall as Shulk activated the Monado, moving forward. His eyes flared blue for a moment as he charged.

"From the left?" he mused as the Telethia lunged. "Then I'll go..." He leapt to the other side, and the Telethia stretched out its other claw, the blow forcing him away as he gave a loud gasp. "Unh! UGH!" he groaned as he slid along the ground.

 _It would be really funny if the reason why he was hit was because he said something instead of the Telethia being able to read minds,_ I thought with a slight chuckle.

"How?!" he gasped as he got back up from the ground. His eyes flared blue again, and the Telethia flew up using Fly.

"Now... from above!" he exclaimed. He raised the Monado to block the blow, but the Telethia descended further and forced him back. "UGH!" he gasped again, as he goes flying, the Monado falling from his grasp.

He stopped sliding beside Alvis, coughing, as the Telethia flew up in the sky again.

Shulk gave one last cough. "It can't be!" he gasped. "I saw its movement before it struck. How can it...?!"

"It is a Telethia," mused Alvis, looking at the flying bird beast which totally wasn't a Pokemon at this point.

Shulk finally stopped coughing for real and looked at Alvis. "Te... Telethia?"

"They can read your mind," spoke Alvis, gesturing to his head as he looked at Shulk.

"Whether you have a vision or not, if they can read your next move, it's all in vain."

Shulk stood from the ground. "You... you know about my visions? How could you possibly-"

"There is only one way," declared Alvis. He began to look at the Monado. "Stop it in its tracks... then dull its perception."

He ran forward, grabbing the Monado. The beam of light pulsed outwards as he grabbed it.

"No, Alvis, stop!" shouted Shulk, with a gasp. "You don't know how to-"

Alvis charged at the Telethia, and the blue beam turned a violent shade of green.

Shulk gasped. "A new symbol!"

 _He must have good eyes if he can read that symbol from that far away,_ I thought. _Because, me... I lost my glasses, which sucks..._

Alvis let out a shout, swinging the Monado as a Telethia neared. What looked like a green Hyper Beam burst out and struck a Telethia. It screamed in pain, freezing in place. Alvis let out a roar, dicing it up with a cool look and an aura of green.

Shulk stared as Alvis landed on the ground again. "Whoa..." He looked as the Telethia burst into a colourful burst of green. "That was... amazing..."

"I suggest you stop staring." Alvis tossed the Monado back to Shulk, who caught it. Alvis then got behind Shulk somehow.

"The sword is yours to wield," he told him.

"What... was that light?"

"The Monado does not control itself," replied Alvis. "You control it."

Shulk looked back at the Telethia that were still there. "I... control it." The beam burst out in his grip.

"By the light of the Monado... I will stop them."

At his words, the beam turned green.

The three of us drew all our weapons and got together in a tight circle to face the three Telethia before us.

"Here I go!" screamed Shulk. "MONADO PURGE!" The Telethia before him flinched. "Go, guys!"

"Hah! Cross Ray!" shouted Alvis, his sword sinking into the beast. "All three at once, hm...? Interesting..."

 _I feel energized now, thanks to Sharla,_ I thought. _Now I can..._ "Hah-RAH!" I slowed time as I morphed into my Soul Trigger state, using Whip Slash to cut all the Telethia at once. They growled, moving back a bit.

"That was simple..." I noticed as I reverted back to normal. _Almost disappointing... and... I didn't stay in that form? What?! And time... it's back to normal?!_

 _What's happening?!_

"How about this?! I'M REALLY FEELING IT!" shouted Shulk as he used Back Slash to take down a Telethia. "Yes!'

I blinked. "Okay..." I used Defensive Reversal to block the claws of another one of the beasts. "Whoa!" I then used Stab Strike and pinned it to the ground. It stopped moving, dead. "Phew..."

"Well? Do you see now, Shulk?" asked Alvis, placing a hand on the wielder of the Monado's shoulder. I saw that the Telethia Alvis had obviously fought was dead as well.

"Mm," replied Shulk. "Thank you."

He then blinked and came up closer to Alvis, who looked a little overwhelmed. "Hey! Wait a second!

"More importantly, where on Bionis did you learn to use the Monado?!"

Alvis chuckled, stepping away. "They were not primary Telethia."

 _Sure, go ahead, just not answer Shulk's question,_ I thought.

"Merely its spawn," continued Alvis. "The primary Telethia dwells elsewhere in Makna Forest."

He seemed to talk to himself for a moment. "Is it... wounded? I see..."

"What?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"The Telethia is hurt and lies in rest," mused Alvis. "Wounded by... a girl."

 _Melia uses Ether to do... stuff,_ I thought. "Huh..."

"A girl?" repeated Shulk.

"The Monado is a divine sword capable of disturbing the very fabric of existence," spoke Alvis. "Of both the material and the immaterial." He touched the Monado lightly as he spoke.

"Alvis... how do you know so much about the Monado?" asked Shulk. "Who are you?"

"SHULK! SHULK!" shouted Reyn, and Shulk turned.

"That's Reyn," he grunted. "I'm over here!" He waved.

Reyn came by and up to Shulk. "Shulk, we looked all over for you. We thought the forest had eaten ya up!"

"Ha ha, nope," he replied. "Sorry. I got attacked by Telethia. If it hadn't been for Alvis I wouldn't have survived."

"Alvis? Who's that?" asked Reyn.

"I'll introduce you. He's the one that..." He turned, and Alvis had disappeared somehow. I blinked.

"Alvis? But he was..." Shulk paused.

"Uh... there's no one here but you and Andrew," spoke Reyn.

"I'm telling you, he was right here!" declared Shulk. "He... even taught me how to unlock a new power for the Monado!" He turned as he spoke.

"Telling' ya, just you, Andrew and me, Shulk," spoke Reyn. "Ain't no one else around. You probably passed out from dehydration and dreamt this guy up."

"I didn't!" replied Shulk. "Andrew, was Alvis really here?!"

"Uh... yes?" I replied.

"See?!"

"Okay, fine, whatever," responded Reyn. "Let's just go back, okay? Did you find some Ether crystals?"

"Yes. Good quality ones too," replied Shulk.

"Then let's go. Back to Sharla, alright? Before some imaginary beast comes by and eats us up or somethin!"Reyn turned to move with a bit of a chuckle, and Shulk gave a sigh, following, with a mumble.

I blinked, and followed. I saw Alvis on a rock in the lake, and I blinked as he gave a smirk, moving away silently.

 _Alvis must be a ninja,_ I thought. _Or able to teleport like Deadpool. One of those two..._

 **Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"And now we know there is another who can use the Monado," mused Dunban.

"Yeah," replied Shulk.

I yawned, eating a somehow really filling cracker Shulk gave me as Sharla readied her rifle with the Ether crystals.

Dunban breathed out. "I can't wait to meet him."

Reyn looked at his friend. "So you and Andrew weren't just having a sneaky nap then?"

"Nah," I spoke. "I have the hardest time ever at trying to have a nap... only had... what, two in my life? Yeah..."

Shulk blinked. "Wow. Only two naps?" he asked. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"Okay," interrupted Sharla, standing. "Locked and loaded. Everyone, stand back."

We all stood and moved away from Melia as Sharla pointed it into the air.

She shot... something into the air, and it sprayed down like rain.

It moved into Melia's body, like a magnet, making her glow.

"Wow..." breathed Shulk.

"Unbelievable," commented Dunban, leaning forward.

 _Anyone else want to say a one-liner?_ I thought.

Melia let out some seriously weird sounds, shifting slightly. Shulk slowly moved closer to her.

"Yeah... she's coming around," declared Reyn. "All thanks to our medic!"

She looked at Reyn, smiling slightly at his compliment.

"Are you okay?" spoke Shulk as the very much older person opened her eyes.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, looking around a bit.

"Clearly not a forest," I muttered.

Shulk looked at me for s brief second, before smiling at Melia. "Everything's fine."

 _And this is how she falls for him!_ I thought. _Shulk, you idiot... when Fiora comes back, I bet... never mind..._

"You're gonna be..."

She gave a loud gasp. "Get your hands off me!" She slapped Shulk, and he flinched, wincing in pain.

"Hey, watch it!" shouted Reyn, moving forward.

Melia's face turned from one of anger to be more of one comparable to shock, perhaps even disappointment in herself.

"Forgive me." She almost seemed to force the words out. "I did not mean to..."

"Uh... sorry if we surprised you," responded Shulk, and I could barely hold back my laughter.

Melia's eyes came over me. "You..." She looked closer. "Are... you the ones who helped me?" Her gaze came over all five of us.

"Well.. something like that," answered Shulk. "When we came along... Andrew was with you. And... stuff happened after that."

"Excuse me..." With her staff, the princess stood. "My name is Melia. Forgive my indiscretion."

 _What does that word mean?_ I thought.

"I have not have the pleasure of coming into contact with a male Homs," she continued.

 _And this is where all those stupid thoughts come up after reading way too many lemon fan fictions,_ I thought with an inward groan. _Because staying up until midnight is the BEST idea on a school night, me..._

"Coming into contact?" mused Dunban.

"Hey, Shulk," spoke Reyn, towering over his friend. "You're creeping this lady out..." His eyebrows raised.

"Shut up, Reyn!" replied his friend, moving away from the taller man.

"This large one is far worse," mused Melia in a somewhat nonchalant voice.

"Me?!" gasped Reyn, and Shulk and Sharla laughed at his face.

"Melia, is it?" managed Sharla once she got over her laughter. "How did you get here, then? What, is there no one with you?"

"I must apologize, but my current situation does not concern you," replied Melia. "And I shall not be divulging anything to common passers-by."

"Duly noted, your ladyship," declared Dunban. "But... if I were to be so bold, I'm guessing that you didn't come here alone and you weren't just taking an afternoon nap."

"Hmph... and what, if I may ask, are you doing here?" she responded. "It is rare to see Homs venture this deep into Makna Forest."

"We're travelling to the head of the Bionis," replied Shulk.

 _When did you decide that?!_ I thought.

"We've got a long journey ahead of us," he continued.

"The head of the Bionis?" echoed Melia.

"We were just figuring out how to get there when we found you," spoke Reyn.

"I see. Then permit me to return the favour by aiding you in your quest," she spoke.

"Really?" replied Reyn in disbelief.

"There is only one path to the head of the Bionis," she spoke. "It is the path that leads to Eryth Sea."

"So... this Eryth Sea is at the head of the Bionis?"

"If you would kind enough to escort me out of the forest, I will show you the way."

"You'd... you'd do that?!" exclaimed Shulk. "Thank you, Melia! I'm Shulk. Pleased to meet you."

"Shulk..." She paused for a moment. "Ah, yes. Likewise..." She seemed lost in thought for reasons definitely not obvious.

Nope. Not obvious at all.

Sharla turned to Reyn. "She's a bit high and mighty, but she's a Homs too, right? What's she doing here?" she wondered.

"Ain't got a clue," replied Reyn. "Ask her yourself. I ain't so good with her posh accent."

 _Hey, you've got an accent too, man!_ I thought.

"Come on, guys!" declared Shulk. "There's Sharla, Reyn, Dunban and Andrew with us." He pointed with each name.

"Hello," spoke Melia, simple.

"Okay!" breathed Shulk. "Let's get out of here!' He went off at a dash, and the rest of us followed after a brief moment at his actions.

...

"Already?!" I shouted as a massive toad thing came at us. "A monster that wants to kill us! Fantastic!"

"Is that a hint of sarcasm I am sensing?" spoke Dunban as he drew his sword. "GALE SLASH!"

"Summon Bolt," spoke Melia, twirling her staff around. "And... Summon Flare! Elemental Discharge!" Flames emerged, burning the monster toad thing.

"Worldly Slash!" shouted Dunban, as Reyn charged in using Sword Drive and Shulk used Slit Edge. "Now... Tempest Kick!"

"Hah!" I shouted, unleashing a shockwave from my sword, and the massive toad fell, dead.

"That was easy," mused Dunban as the best fell.

"No kidding," I muttered. "Where are we going?" _Nopon village... what is it called again?_

"Well... to get permission to pass into Eryth Sea, we must see and gain permission from the Nopon village's chief, in Frontier Village," spoke Melia.

 _Oh... it's called Frontier Village?_ I thought. _What's that remind me of...?_

"So we go there," declared Shulk. "And... go to the head of the Bionis."

 _All so you can get vengeance..._ I thought as we continued to walk.

"Oh... it's growing dark pretty fast," mused Shulk. "Maybe we should just stay here for tonight, and get to Frontier Village in the morning. That sound okay?" As we all nodded he gave a sigh. "Then let's do it."

...

I lay in the grass, the bonfire burning before me.

"Hm... your name is Andrew?" I blinked as Melia came into my vision.

"Yeah."

She paused, fiddling with her weapon. "Against that beast at first... thank you for defending me."

"Don't thank me," I muttered. "Just let me sleep."

A slight chuckle came from the mage. "I leave you to it, then." She moved away.

I groaned. Now that the older person had talked to me, it would take too long to fall asleep.

I stood. Sharla was talking with Reyn a little bit away, and Dunban kept guard a few metres away.

I sighed, looking at my sword, before placing it on my back.

At that moment, something growled in the dark, and I drew my sword again.

"What was that?!" exclaimed Dunban, rushing over with his sword drawn.

"Probably nothing nice," I responded as a Homs (or maybe a human) rushed forward, a sword flashing from underneath a cloak. "Whoa!" I ducked, with Dunban deflecting the blow.

"Huh?!" Shulk got up, the Monado in his grasp as he blocked a swing from another Homs/human. "What is this?!"

"There's another Homs over here too!" grunted Reyn as he and Sharla grabbed their weapons.

"Three of them at once?!" mused Melia, casting elementals.

"Time to exercise the power of teamwork," I grunted.

"Who are these Homs?!" wondered Shulk as he tried to strike at his foe.

"Ask later, Shulk!" shouted Reyn, defending Sharla from a stab with his Driver. "Right now, they're tryin' to kill us!"

"Then let's stop that, shall we? Serene Heart!" declared Dunban. "Gale Slash!"

I grunted, using Stab Strike with the foe deflecting both attacks effortlessly. "What?!" I gasped as he slashed me, causing me to stagger back. "Ow..." I went flying as Dunban crashed into me. "This is going well..."

The older swordsman arose. "Thunder!" he shouted, but the swordsman dodged the attack. "Hm?!"

"Hah!" I sent shockwaves at the foe, and he deflected them with his sword. "Shoot."

I could hear everyone else, and the battle wasn't going well at all.

"RAH!" I roared, morphing into my Soul Trigger state and lunging with Whip Slash. The swordsman dodged the attack.

"Too slow." The voice was feminine, and she stabbed me, kicking me away. "And too easy."

I coughed. "Are you mercenaries?!" I arose, slowing time. I grabbed the female and roared, holding her against a tree. I reverted to normal, time returning to normal. _What...?_

"Mercs?" she coughed. "No." She slashed me away.

"Ugh..." I fell back as Dunban leapt over me, striking away the female.

"An expert swordsman," he mused. "Almost too good for both of us."

"Yeah," I responded. _My powers... why did they go away so quickly?_ I wondered.

I grunted as the woman got back up, sword in hand. "We have to kill her."

"Then kill we must," he sighed. "Are you ready? Distract he, and I'll go in for the killing blow."

"Alright." I lunged, using Defensive Reversal as she leapt at me. "Ugh!" I managed to force her back, and our swords clashed.

"Metal Blast!' shouted Sharla, the attack causing the female to stagger. "Go!"

"Sorry," grunted Dunban, lunging. "Blossom Dance..." With four fast strikes the female swordsman fell with a slit throat.

I winced. "That's brutal..." I watched as the human/Homs collapsed, eyes rolling back.

Dunban breathed out. "But efficient." He moved towards Shulk and Melia, who were struggling with their foe, who had a long staff.

I charged to Reyn and Sharla, and Reyn slid back with a loud grunt. "You okay?!" I shouted.

He groaned. "That guy is good with that spear of his."

Sharla gasped as she was cut, staggering away. "Unh..."

I moved forward, blocking the stab the foe forced at the sniper. "Hey... it's not nice to try and kill women!" I strained with the effort to force the spear back.

"Then what were you doing?!" he spat, leaping up to stab from above. I grunted, rolling away, and by then, Sharla had moved away.

"Playtime's over," he declared, and silvery spears materialized above his head.

"Goddamn it," I cursed. _What, is this guy copying Vergil now? Summoned Spears instead of Summoned Swords?_

"Andrew, watch out!" yelled Reyn, using his Driver to block the spears as they streamed forward.

"Thanks," I grunted. I breathed out, and the male leapt over the shield, high in the air. "Lift your Driver!" As he did so I leapt up and got on it, leaping up to deflect a fierce stab. _So strong...!_

We landed on the ground, and I attacked with Stab Strike, which the cloaked guy evading. "Ugh!" I slowed time as he stabbed towards me, and I slashed him back. "Huff...?" Time returned to normal. _I... so tired...?!_

 _Why?!_

The male spat out blood. "So it was true... a worthy opponent, hm...? The name's Jake. I'll be your killer."

"This escalated quickly," I noted, regaining my breath.

Reyn grunted. "Magnum Charge!" he shouted. "C'mon, Andrew! We can do Chain Attack too! Let's do it!"

"Ugh..." I groaned, coughing. "Sorry, Reyn... but... all of a sudden, I... feel... so tired..." I fell to one knee.

"It's because that blonde guy is using the Monado," laughed Jake. "That Time Slow ability you got... it influences the Ether around you to shift your awareness, and slow down the events around you. The Monado, when it's in use, messes up with that Ether influence. It's gotten worse over time, hasn't it?"

I grunted, somehow managing to stand agin. "The hell... did you know about that?! Also, that made no sense..."

He smirked. "Well, well..." He threw his spear, and I gasped as it sent me flying into a tree, pinning me to it. I threw up blood as a result.

"If I told you... well, then you don't have to do anything yourself! And that's no fun." Jake's spear returned to his grasp, and he deflected a rifle round and Reyn's Sword Drive Art at the same time. "Both of you... weak."

Reyn let out a roar as he was stabbed through his Driver, and Jake threw him closer to me.

"Reyn!" shouted Sharla, aiming her rifle at him.

"Oops... sorry, miss." Jake knocked her out with his elbow, and tossed the now unconscious party members to me.

"You son of a..." I arose, and Defensive Reversal blocked his stab. I coughed up blood, flinching with pain.

"Ooh..." Jake lunged, and stabbed his spear into he ground. "Later."

A blast of energy -Ether?- sent all of us flying.

We were flying sliding along the ground.

And then there suddenly wasn't anything below any of us.

By the time I realized we were falling from a cliff, it was too late.

I hit the water and everything turned black instantly.

The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was two other bodies hitting the water.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I opened my eyes. The limp bodies of Reyn and Sharla were at the edge of... something. A beach?

I rubbed my eyes, tiredness settling in.

"Ugh..." I rose slowly, staggering until I used my sword to support myself.

This was a beach. We were blasted off a cliff and...

"Where are we?" I wondered.

Sharla coughed, coughing up water. "Ugh..." She sat up. "Andrew?"

"Hi." I waved.

"Oh... Reyn!" She rushed to him as quickly as she could, and slowly dragged him from the edge. "Help me!" she called.

I came over, and the two of us dragged the adult and flipped him over. Sharla... did something, and he soon coughed up water.

"Ugh!" he groaned, opening his eyes. "Geez... what happened?"

"And where's our weapons?" wondered Sharla, worry in her eyes.

 _Right... she has Gadolt's Rifle now,_ I thought. "Is... this a beach?"

Reyn groaned, rising with Sharla's help. "Look." He pointed, and there was a cliff with a huge amount of forest. "Must've fallen from there, huh..."

"How do we get back up there again?" I asked.

"Let's worry about that later," spoke Sharla. "Right now, if anything comes by, we're almost doomed."

I grunted. If I didn't ache all over, I sure did now. "Reyn." I walked deeper into the water, and picked up a big metal object. "Is this your Driver?"

He winced. "Yeah, sure is." He grabbed it. "Where that guy stabbed me, there's a hole..."

"At least it's still in one piece," I commented, picking up Sharla's rifle. "Sharla... looks like part of the grip broke off."

She breathed out as I handed it to her. "But it's still usable," she replied. "Alright..."

I blinked. "So... how do we get back to Shulk and them? And where are we?"

"I think we're still in Makna Forest," responded Sharla. "We were thrown off that cliff, and... now, there's no possible way we could possibly get back by climbing the cliff."

"I hope that the guy Shulk was fighting didn't... uh..." He paused. "Kill him, or something."

"Probably not," spoke Sharla. "Come on, Reyn! Think positive!"

 _Is that something she would say?_ I wondered. _Not too sure on that..._ "Uh... how do we reunite with everyone else?"

"If we can get towards... that Nopon village Melia told us about, I'm sure the others will do the same," reasoned Sharla.

"Sounds like a plan!" declared Reyn. "Uh... but where the heck is this Nopon village?"

"When did we get told that?" I asked.

"Sometime when we were traveling," answered the sniper. "I think you were daydreaming. It was called Frontier Village."

I groaned. "So... are we going to use the magical powers of choosing a random direction and hoping to get lucky?"

Sharla shrugged. Reyn moved his arm in a circle.

"Perhaps I can assist you."

I lunged forward at the voice, stabbing with my sword. Alvis dodged the attack with ease.

"Alvis," I breathed out. "I swear, if you do something like that again, I will have a heart attack."

"Considering you have asthma, I wouldn't entirely rule that out," he mused. "Anyway..."

"Wait... this guy is Alvis? That guy Shulk and you saw at the lake?" asked Reyn.

"Yeah," I replied, placing my sword on my back again. "So where's Frontier Village, Alvis?"

"That way." He pointed north with one hand.

"Andrew." I turned around to look at Sharla, and so did Reyn as she started to talk. "Do you trust this guy?"

I looked behind me, and he was gone. "Well... there's no other leads," I spoke. "So let's go!"

Reyn ran in front of me, with Sharla chasing after him. I smirked at a sudden thought before going after them.

 _Alvis can teleport like Deadpool, or maybe like Dante. OR SOMETHING!_

...

"Phew!" breathed Reyn as he shoved back a big flying bird. "This thing's tough!" he called.

I grunted, just dodging the creature's attack. "Damn!" I cursed, wiping sweat from my face. "This thing is taking a lot of abuse from our weapons!"

"Hey... there's no gems!" noticed Reyn.

"What?!" I responded. "The hell did you get gems?!"

"Shulk explained them to me, just before we left Colony 9 for this journey," replied Reyn. "And there were-"

"REYN!" screamed Sharla. "LOOK OUT!"

"Hunh?!" he grunted, and he gasped as razor-sharp claws sunk into him. "Ugh...!"

 _Now!_ I thought, _letting out a roar as Time Slow came into play. Wow... that Jake guy was right. I feel a ton better, but not so awesome because Sharla's still firing Ether rounds... anyway..._

I shouted, running to the beast. Its gaze shifted slowly from Reyn to me, and I used Slide Edge to sink my blade into it. I then got on top of the large eagle beast thing. Time returned to normal by now.

"Sharla!" I shouted, using Stab Strike to stab the beast. It squeaked in pain and agony, letting go of Shulk's childhood friend. "Get Reyn back for a moment!"

She rushed forward. "What are you doing?!" she yelled as she shot a healing bullet into what was definitely her future love interest and starting to pull him away from the bird's wild movements as I twisted my sword.

"There..." I let out a howl, morphing into my power-up form. I leapt into the air, using my wings to move around to a better position.

The eagle screeched at me, and its wings swept towards me. Sharp wing projectiles rushed at me, looking like Beowulf's annoying attack THAT I ALWAYS GET HIT BY in Devil May Cry 3.

I grunted, using Aura Wave to launch shockwaves to overwhelm the feathers, and there was one shockwave left to strike the bird, in the wing in particular. It instantly began to plummet, yet still tried to keep up in the air.

"HAH!" I released my form, and fell in the air. A smile came over my face, and I let out a roar, using Whip Slash to cut the head of the eagle off from the rest of the body.

I landed on the ground safely, somehow, and rose to my full height with a smile. "That was fun!" I commented.

Reyn grunted, smiling a little. "That looked pretty cool, man."

"Thanks," I replied, placing my sword on my back again. "Sharla, how is he?"

She breathed out. "Alright. But..." She shot another round into him, and her rifle's barrel sizzled slightly, and she sighed. "My rifle's overheated. Just wait for a second..."

"I'm fine," grunted Reyn, rising, but she pushed him back to the ground. "Sharla?"

"No!" she responded, a fierce expression on her face. "Your wound's only half closed by my rifle. If you move again, and if we get into another fight, you could easily bleed to death."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. How about we rest here for a while?"

"Alright," I replied, breathing out as my rush of adrenaline left me. I sat down.

Then there was a rumbling, almost like a small earthquake. Like something used Magnitude in Pokemon and got 1.

"That can't be good." I stood, drawing my sword again. Tiredness flooded my limbs and my legs shook. "Huff..."

"Hah!" I raised my sword, just blocking a spear stab aimed for my face. I just deflected the attack so that my cheek was cut slightly instead.

"Nice reflexes!" Jake bounced away from me with a smirk. "Hi."

"Why can't you just leave me alone?! Seriously! I just want to live!" I growled. "That too much to ask?"

"Remember what I said? I want to kill you." He settled into a ready stance. "The only way you'll manage to get rid of me for good is to kill me."

"Damn," I cursed. "And just to be sure... there's absolutely no way I can get rid of you otherwise?"

"If you don't want to die."

With that he stabbed the ground. What looked like a massive blast of Ether rushed through the ground at me. I leapt away from the blast and he lunged with a stab at my face.

"Rrgh...!" I used Defensive Reversal to block his stab, and our weapons met, sparks flying. "Ugh!" I ducked, though he still managed to cut my arm slightly. "Ow..."

"Don't get distracted by pain!" shouted Jake, striking at me with his spear. I grunted, using Whip Slash to just deflect his attack. "HAH!" He stabbed his spear in the ground, and a blast of Ether from below blew me away. "Heh."

"UGH!" I groaned, sliding along the ground. "That has gone so well..." I slowly arose.

Sharla paused, cooling her rifle from shooting healing rounds into Reyn. "Andrew, are you okay?"

"Hell no," I replied. "That guy's gonna kill me at this rate. Does that sound like someone who's okay?"

"No," she admitted. "Here, I can heal you..." I waited for a moment before she shot a large burst of Ether into the air, which floated down to heal all of us.

"This heals us a lot more than all your other healing Arts," commented Reyn, rising again from the ground.

"But I have to cool my Rifle," she muttered. "Cover me, guys!"

"Whoa!" I grunted, just dodging a stab from Jake. "Hi!" I slashed at him, as Reyn pushed forward at the spearman.

"RAH!" he roared, stabbing the ground again. Bursts of Ether burst up to force all of us away.

"UGH!" groaned Reyn, as a tree branch impaled his leg. "Ugh!" he yelled.

"Reyn!" gasped Sharla, as her gun slowly cools."Come on!" she hissed.

"You're going to die first," mused Jake, looking at the sharpshooter. "Can't have you healing everyone else, can I."

"Andrew!" shouted Reyn, struggling to free himself from the low-hanging branch that had gotten through him. Blood pumped from the wound. "Go for Sharla!"

I grunted, recovering as Jake prepared to stab for Sharla. "NO!" I shouted, using Time Slow as I spoke.

Jake, however, was still moving, almost too fast. I reached out with my sword, just deflecting his stabbing attack.

"Heh... RAH!" He suddenly was much faster, and our weapons clashed several times.

 _Sharla and Reyn... they're still slow!_ I thought. _How is this guy moving at... normal speed...?_

"I told you about your Time Slow power, right?!" Jake cut me again, and I staggered back from him. "Well, I can use Ether too. I can slow time as well."

"Well." I used Stab Strike, and he dodged with ease. "Ugh!" I moved away, just dodging a stab.

 _No choice,_ I thought. _If he's moving as fast as me now, then I have to..._ "RAH!" I let out a howl as I transformed again.

Jake smirked. "That form again, huh?" he mused.

"I'm not letting you win now!" I shouted, lunging. Our weapons met again, and he smiled. "Huh? What's so funny?!"

He forced me back somehow. "I'm like you, actually... an Outsider." His form flickered with a deadly blue aura, as a massive, ghostly blue demon materialized behind him.

"I can use the Soul Trigger too," he smirked. "So don't think you're so special."

I blinked. _I swear, we are copying Devil May Cry now._

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **(Also, disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry, Capcom, Pokemon, Nintendo, or anything I reference.)**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I roared, my slash being deflected by the massive ghost demon, which wielded a large sword.

"Hah!" shouted Jake, lunging at me. I used Defensive Reversal to block and force him back. "That all you got?!"

"Hah!" I used Whip Slash to strike at the foe, but his ghost demon deflected it again, and he lunged as I staggered. "UGH!"

His spear sunk into me, and he forced me back. "C'mon, loser. Struggling to keep up time yet?"

I groaned, and used Aura Wave to send shockwaves at him. Jake dodged, and the ghost demon slashed at me. "Crap!" I cursed, rolling away from the attack. _He's...!_

"EAT THIS!" He thrust his spear's tip at my mouth, and I used my free left hand to grab it. "You...!"

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" I roared, using Stab Strike to attack. He grunted, moving so my blade just grazed his side. "RAH!" I howled, using Cross Slash to slash to the side. Jake's demon locked the blow.

"You can't do it!" he shouted, before he swung his spear at me as the ghost demon's sword flashed at me as well.

I leapt back, taking to the air. "Huff..." By now, I could sense that he was getting faster. My Time Slow was slowing ticking away, despite my will. "Huff..." I grunted, just dodging the spear Jake threw at me.

"A pity!" The weapon returned to his grasp. "That now, I can savour killing you..."

"That's a messed up," I panted, and I looked at my left hand. It flickered, showing my normal form for a moment. _No..._

He smirked. "COME ON!" He used his ghost demon to slash up at me, and I just blocked the attack. "IS THAT IT?!" he screamed. "All you have to show me of your power is dodging my attacks?! Not good enough!"

I grunted. My perception of time blurred, and I descended to the ground. "Ugh...!" I somehow blocked the ghost demon's attack and Jake's spear stab at the same time. "You... won't beat me..."

"Yeah?" He forced me back, and the ghost demon faded away, though he kept the deadly ghostly aura. "What are you fighting for, huh?"

"UGH!" I gasped as my form reverted to normal. "Huff... huff..." I looked at him, sweat dripping down my face. "What am I fighting for? I'm fighting... to live... and to go home."

"No guarantee that'll actually happen," smirked Jake, and he stabbed the ground with his spear. With a jolt I rolled away, just evading what seemed to be an explosion of Ether.

"Hmph." Jake took his weapon out, and grunted. "Really... you know all those Self-Insert Fanfictions? What a load of crap. If those people were actually in those scenarios, they would freak the hell out, ya know?"

"Uh... no?" I replied, and I moved as he lunged, so his stab only grazed my side. "Ugh...!"

"Listen!" yelled Jake, stabbing me next and pinning me to a tree. "You're a fool. Do you really think, if you defeat Zanza and whatever, you'll go home? Huh?"

I coughed up blood. "Ugh...!" I gave a gasp as time finally settled to normal. "I... don't know..."

Jake twisted his spear in me, and I screamed. "Don't know, huh?!" he shouted, as a burst of Ether from his spear blasted me through the tree. It was lightning fast, and then he was at normal speed like me, his aura pulsing.

"Well, let me tell you." He lunged for me, and I just managed to block his stab. "Your friend, Shulk... he and his two allies are almost dead. And my own ally is gonna finish them off."

"Hey!" shouted Sharla, aiming her rifle. "Get away from him!"

Jake smirked. "Heh..." He stabbed her ankle with his spear, pinning her to the ground. "Shut up, woman." As she tried to shoot him he dodged the bullets with ease. "Too slow."

I grunted, rising slowly. "RAH!" I roared, moving forward. Jake turned, and disarmed Sharla with one hand, tossing her gun somewhere. At the same time he took his spear and impaled me with it.

"Hm... I know you're gonna get stronger," he mused. "So I'll leave you alone for now. This fight... most fun I've had in ages, ya know?" He stabbed his spear in the ground, causing a burst of Ether to overwhelm Reyn as he tried to get closer.

"Don't forget... I spared you today. Next time, when you're stronger... I'm gonna have the time of my life killing ya."

The object in my body suddenly vanished and everything turned black as my head hit the ground.

...

I opened my eyes with a groan. "What...?"

"Good," breathed out Sharla. "You're awake. I was getting worried there for a while, you know."

I sat upright, and she didn't try to stop me. "Ow..." I rose, placing my sword on my back again.

"What happened?" asked Reyn. "We were fighting, then all of a sudden he got you down."

I stretched with a wince. "You don't want to know," I told him. "That guy... is the most powerful enemy so far. Anyway... he..." I paused with another wince. "That guy said Shulk, Melia and Dunban are in danger."

"Wish we knew where they were," grunted Reyn. He leaned against a tree.

"It would certainly be a relief," agreed Sharla, looking over her gun. She sighed.

"How long was I out?" I wondered, feeling stiffness in all my muscles.

"About two hours. I found my gun again and healed you," answered the sniper.

"Thanks."

"Do you think we should keep going towards Frontier Village?" asked Reyn. "Or try and look for Shulk and everyone?"

"I think we should go to Frontier Village," spoke Sharla. "If they're there already, then we could be wasting time looking for them."

I blinked, looking over my thin red jacket, though Shulk had told me that it was of a very strong material. Jake had managed to tear the left sleeve off entirely in the battle, and I grunted.

"But if Shulk is still out there-"

"Then one of us should stay at Frontier Village and the other two go look," spoke Sharla.

Reyn paused. "Alright, that makes sense."

"But how are we going to do that anyway?" I wondered.

"Well... remember what direction that... Alvis told us earlier?" spoke Sharla.

I groaned. "No." My body seemed to be a massive bruise. Sharla could heal but taking away the feeling of the injuries was something Ether healing rounds were incapable of.

"That way, I think," mused Reyn. He paused as we stared at him. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing." Sharla poorly restrained a laugh, but it soon became bitter and her smile wore away. "Then let's go."

Reyn looked at me, and I shook my head. He shrugged.

"Let's go," he declared, and Sharla and I followed the male.

...

"Ow!" I hissed, tripping over a hidden branch. "Crap... "

"Hey, it's a beach!" commented Sharla. "Perfect to relax for a moment."

"Not a moment we can spare," I grunted. "We should keep moving."

Reyn grunted, and we headed back, deeper into the forest.

"This... looks like settlements," mused Sharla. "Is this Frontier Village? Or..."

"But before we can get to it..." Reyn pointed behind us.

There was a massive bird that looked like what would occur if an eagle and a hawk could breed. Which I guess could in the world of XenoBlade, because it was flying right at us.

"Of course," I grunted, drawing my sword as it neared. "So what's happening?"

"Usual plan in battle. I'll grab its attention, Andrew attacks, and Sharla covers us," spoke Reyn, moving forward, his Driver in Shield mode to withstand an attack from its wing.

"UGH!" He slid away from the foe. "That was as hard as steel!" he grunted.

"Oh, come on," I groaned. _Are we going to have this thing copy Pokemon now? Using Steel Wing?_

 _This whole adventure is a reference to anything BUT XenoBlade, seriously!_

 _Like, Pokemon, Devil May Cry, uh, uh... crap._

Sharla grunted as she aimed her gun. "Metal Blast!" she shouted.

The hawk eagle hybrid evaded the attack with a loud cry. "UGH!" shouted Reyn in pain, covering his ears.

"Look out!" I grunted, tackling the male. I winced as a wing grazed my side, but no serious damage was done. "Ow..."

"Thanks!" shouted Reyn, moving forward again. "Take this! War Swing!"

However, it simply flew up into the air.

"10/10," I commented.

"Oi, be quiet, will ya!"

Sharla stifled a laugh. "Cover me, guys!" She began to cool her gun, and Reyn moved over, blocking an attack as he rushed to her side.

I blinked, and more wing projectiles flew from the bird's... wings. "Whoa!" I used Aura Wave to release shockwaves, though a few still pierced me, mostly on the sides. "Ow," I groaned.

The bird screeched, moving in at me, TOTALLY using its Brave Bird attack.

"Whoa!" I activated Time Slow, leaping onto the eagle hawk as it rushed by. "Hi!" Time slowly reverted back to normal in my perception of it. "Huh..."

It let out a loud bird cry as I stabbed it using Stab Strike, but before I could take out the blade, it accelerated, despite time being slower than usual.

"UGH!" I just barely hung onto my sword, which was stuck in its body. I whipped over the bird's side. If I let go now, I would fall and surely break something.

The eagle hawk let out another screech, as time returned to normal. It tried to shake me off, and my sword fell out of it.

"Andrew!" shouted Sharla, as I fell.

"It's fine! Actually, probably not!" I descended, morphing into my Soul form and gliding along the ground. "Ooh! That was smooth!" I grinned, facing my two other allies.

Reyn grunted, as his Driver switched back to its offensive mode. "Behind you!"

I turned, using Whip Slash to divert the massive bird's path as it lunged for me. "Geez..." I let out a roar, and used my left hand to grab the beast and use my sword to stab through its eye, pinning it to the ground.

It let out a dying score, and slowly stopped moving as I took out my sword, reverting to normal. For a moment, it looked like the blood that was around my sword turned into something and entered my body by piercing my heart. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be lethal.

I staggered slightly. _What was that?_ I thought.

Reyn sighed, placing his weapon back on his back. I looked at my sword, now covered in the bird's blood.

"That..." I paused. "Uh..."

"Is there a point to me being here anymore?" wondered Reyn.

 _What?_ I thought, looking at him. "What?"

"Of course there is, Reyn!" spoke Sharla. "You're... a very important friend. To all of us."

He sighed. "Well... I just haven't done anything in these battles, ya know? It was just you, Andrew."

I winced. "Sorry, Reyn."

"Nah, it's fine," he replied. "Let's... let's just get to Frontier Village, okay?"

With that, he ran past the beast.

I blinked, and Sharla chased after him.

I sighed, looking at the sky.

 _Am I too strong?_ I wondered, walking slowly after the sniper.

...

Many Nopon welcomed us, and one told us that this was Frontier Village.

"This Frontier Village! It very safe, and big!"

"Okay, thanks," replied Sharla. "Have you seen any Homs come into the village?" she asked.

"Hom hom?" responded the Nopon. "Yes! Three Hom Hom enter Frontier Village!

"And Hom Hom tell me, let other Hom Hom in!" He moved away.

"Alright. Must be Shulk, Dunban and Melia," grunted Reyn. "Let's go!"

He ran in, and Sharla and I followed. A feeling of dread settled over me.

"Unh..." groaned a voice from within.

"Shulk!" shouted Reyn, and he came up to his friend. "Great, you guys are here too!"

"Ugh... Reyn..." A massive gaping wound wrapped around his leg. "Hi..."

Melia breathed out. "My elementals can't heal a wound so massive."

"It's fine. I can heal him," spoke Sharla, aiming her rifle. She shot s few rounds into Shulk, and the wound began to fade away.

"Thanks," grunted Shulk, rising to his feet. "Ow..." He staggered, and Melia helped to settle him. "Thank you, Melia."

"My pleasure."

 _Only a blind and deaf Buniv couldn't tell she's in love with you, Shulk,_ I thought.

"Wait... where's Dunban?" wondered Reyn.

The swordsman groaned, heaving himself through the entrance. "Hi, Reyn..." He fell over.

"Ah...!" Sharla moved over to the male, turning him over. There were a few gasps and a low groan.

"It was infected," managed Dunban. "I... had to..."

Where his right arm was, there was nothing. Just a small piece of the limb remained attached to his body.

"Who did it, Dunban?" asked Shulk.

Dunban breathed out, heavy. "That person... that we were fighting..."

"Me." A happy voice rang out, outside the village's entrance. "I can use a clone of Ether too, you know."

I used my sword to block his spear stab. "Jake," I growled.

He waved. "Time to die, I think."

 **There is a Si XenoBlade Fanfiction, by the way, which I believe also uses the term 'Outsider'.**

 **I have not copied that, sorry, original creator! And whatever that author put the definition of an 'Outsider' down as is... probably similar to mine. Shoot.**

 **PLEASE DON'T CALL COPYRIGHTS! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!**

 **(The fanfiction is called XenoBlade Chronicles: Rewind, by the way. AND NO, this is not advertising. For one thing, it took me too long to spell that the first time around. I just don't want copyright called on me...)**

 **Anyway... thanks for reading!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

He smirked. "Next to the wielder of the Monado..." He grabbed me. "None of our powers will work."

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk, drawing the Monado. A symbol began to flash on it.

"Andrew, I'll-"

"NO!" I replied. "It's me he wants to kill! Stay out of it, Shulk! You won't even be able to hurt him!"

"Heh..." Jake leapt away a long distance, and we landed a bit away from Frontier Village. He let go of me and moved back. We began to circle each other.

"That hawk eagle... I hope it made you stronger." He lunged, fast. Too fast. I slowed time and our weapons met.

"OTHERWISE THIS WILL BE YOUR GRAVE!"

I grunted, pushing him back. "For the last time... there is absolutely no way this can end in no more bloodshed?"

"Nah," he smirked. "I live for battle. IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS!" he howled, as his aura appeared, the ghostly demon materializing. "SHOW ME! SHOW ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!

"AND I WILL STILL KILL YOU! AND THEM! AND EVERYTHING, EVER!"

I looked at him. "But why though?"

He growled. "You're asking me why? BECAUSE I CAN!"

I groaned. "Fine..." I roared, morphing into my Soul Trigger state. "I don't want to die.

"If you're the one lying there in the ground dying, now it was your fault."

"THEN COME ON!" he shouted.

My blade met the ghost demon's and his spear at the same time.

We forced each other back.

"LET'S DO THIS, OUTSIDER TO OUTSIDER!" he screamed.

I smiled. "RAH!" Our weapons clashed, with intensive force.

"TRY AND KILL ME, FELLOW OUTSIDER! TRY!" yelled Jake, forcing me back.

"IT'LL MAKE CRUSHING YOU SO MUCH BETTER!"

 _This guy is a psycho,_ I thought. But I couldn't resist smiling again.

"BRING IT ON!" I shouted, moving skywards before descending towards him. "RAH!"

The ghost demon swung, but I deflected it with ease and moved on to attack him. "Hah! GOOD, YOU'RE PUTTING UP A FIGHT!" yelled Jake, and he stabbed me with his spear.

I flinched for a moment, and in that moment he unleashed a blast of Ether that threw me into a tree. "Ow!" I grunted, before raising my sword to block a ghostly sword. "Ugh!" I leapt away as he stabbed for me.

"Still running away? What a shame. Even though it's only been about 3 hours since we last fought, I thought that you'd be much stronger than this," grunted Jake.

"What were you expecting?" I panted, before sending shockwaves at him. He evaded with ease and stabbed the ground. I grunted, rolling away from the burst of Ether from below.

 _Ether... isn't that what weakens the Time Slow and Soul Trigger powers?_ I thought. _To both of us!_ "What...?"

"So you finally realized it, stupid dense Outsider," laughed Jake. "I've been weakening you all this time with my control over Ether. It affects me too, but... not as much."

 _How come this sounds like a boss cliche or something?_ I wondered. _Probably because it is..._ "Great..." I spread my wings, moving into the sky. Suddenly, my vision sharpened to an extreme despite my lack of glasses.

 _Is this because of that hawk eagle thing's blood?_ I thought. _When we fought it and it went into me because reasons... probably plot convenience because if this was a story, this might be the only way I could fight this guy!_

 _Eh. Or maybe just a coincidence. I don't know._

I howled, lunging. I stabbed with Stab Strike, and Jake's demon raised its sword.

"Huh...?" Jake let out a gasp as he and the ghost demon together were forced backwards. "What...?"

I breathed out. Time was slowly returning to normal in my eyes. "RAH!" I howled, using Whip Slash. I cut the ghost demon apart, and it faded away.

Jake staggered, though his aura remained. A large smile crept into his face. "Nice!" he shouted, his spear impaling me as I slashed him. His expression didn't change, and he blasted me away with another burst of Ether.

I groaned, slowly recovering from hitting a tree. "Ugh...!" I let out a gasp, and time reverted to normal. "Huff..."

"This... THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" he roared, stabbed the ground. I took to the air from instinct, and the Ether rushed upwards at me, like a volcano erupting.

"UGH!" I fell from the sky and lost my form. "Unh..." I rose, shaking. "Huff..."

Jake laughed. He was suddenly slower and his aura faded away. "It's no fun if I can power-up and you can't." With those words he moved in with a wide swing using his spear.

I grunted, just managing to meet his attack. "Ah...!" I slid away and he cut me with the sharp part of the weapon. "Ugh!"

"Hah!" He spun his spear in his grasp, and a green version of him materialized, rushing forward.

 _A clone?!_ I let out a grunt, raising my sword to deflect a stab. "Huh...?" The real Jake was leaping at me over his clone.

"RAH!" He stabbed, and I just moved so he cut my cheek instead of stabbing my face.

The clone cut me, and I staggered from the blow.

"Come on... use them Arts you're capable of using!" he yelled. "Show me everything! I want to have the time of my life when I finally kill you, you know."

I groaned. "You...!" I grunted as Jake stabbed the ground. I just dodged an eruption of Ether, and the clone and the real person came in at the same time.

I used Cross Slash, cutting the clone of Ether and forcing Jake back, the attack coming out from instinct.

"Huh!" Jake slid away with a smirk. "Alright..." His aura came back and he moved forward, stabbing. I used Stab Strike to counter, and somehow met his stab. "Geh...!" I slashed at him, though Jake was much faster, his stab lunging forward.

I moved so it just grazed my side, and he cut it across, inflicting another wound.

"Huh!" Jake kicked me away with a whistle. "This is boring and pointless. Ready to die yet?"

"I don't think so," I responded, rising again. I launched shockwaves at him, which Jake dodged with ease. "Damn," I muttered under my breath.

He laughed, and the ghost demon came back. "Come on, Outsider."

I groaned, my form flickering for a few moments, from my normal state to my transformed one. "RAH!" Finally, as I roared, I maintained my power-up. "HAH!" I moved into the air, and my eyesight sharpened again.

The ghost demon's sword met my sword, and I gasped as Jake's spear landed a glancing blow. "Ugh!"

"Hah!" He used the ghost demons to stab me and throw me into a tree. "RAH!" He lunged, the demonic aura surrounding him growing more intensive as the demon cut for me. I rolled away and Jake cut me with his spear again.

I groaned, slowing time. For one second he was slow enough to match, then he was as fast as before. I howled, stabbing. The tips of both our weapons met, sparks flying as they glanced off each other.

The demon slashed at me, and I deflected the attack using Whip Slash. "Huff...!" I swung at Jake, who leapt so high my swipe missed. "Huff...!" I blocked his spear's massive swing.

"RAH!" He moved away, stabbing the ground. I rolled away from a blast of Ether from below.

I panted, spreading my wings to take into the air. "Ugh!" I flew around, sending shockwaves at the spear user. His demon cut, forcing them back at me.

With a grunt I cut back, forcing them back at Jake with more speed and power.

 _Wait a minute... this is Ganondorf from The Legend Of Zelda, Ocarina Of Time! The hell?!_

 _Are we going to play ping pong?!_

Jake dodged the shockwaves, and let out a roar. A clone of Ether appeared, with a ghostly demon behind him as well.

I panted. "Well..." I muttered curses under my breath that my parents wouldn't approve of, and I grunted.

The real Jake leapt unto his clone's demon's blade, jumping at me, still in the air. "COME ON!"

I gasped for air, moving downwards, using Defensive Reversal to block one attack, and then Stab Strike to attack at Jake.

He moved his spear to block my stab, and I howled. "RAH!"

His eyes widened as I broke his spear and stabbed him, pinning him to the ground, blade piercing some part of his body, hopefully something lethal.

"UGH!" he roared as I twisted my sword in him. "You...! SON OF A-"

"SHUT UP!" I took out my sword, and two ghost demons stabbed me. "Ugh...!" I used my left hand and shattered the sword of a ghost demon with it, somehow.

I blocked the Ether clone's stab and cut it apart.

With a scream I coughed up blood on the ground, everything reverting to normal. Pain exploded throughout my entire body.

Jake's demon faded away, as well as his aura.

"Damn..." he cursed. "Should've known... that letting... _him._.. do that..."

"W... what?" I managed, staggering. Blood pumped from all the wounds on my body, and I tore away the damaged right sleeve of my coat shirt thing. "Who is... him?"

He looked at me with a smirk. "Oh... you wish... finding the an... answers... in life... was... so easy..."

"I do, actually," I replied, stabbing my blade in the ground to steady myself.

"Well... you'll... find out..."

"Fine, then. I'll find out." I walked over to him. "It's over." I raised my sword.

"Andrew, stop!" yelled Shulk, through some trees. "Don't kill him!"

"Why?" Jake and I asked at the same time.

"He can't fight anymore!" he gasped. "So there's no reason to kill him!"

"You were fighting him, weren't you?" I growled. "What about Dunban? Now he's lost his whole right arm."

Sadness flooded Shulk's gaze. "But... that... that's no reason to kill this person!"

Jake laughed, weak. "Check... check it out... Outsider! This... this guy... wants you to spare me!"

"I won't," I replied, pointing my sword down at Jake. "Ready to die?"

Shulk gasped. "Andrew! NO!" He rushed forward, using the Monado to block my stab. "Don't... kill him...!" He struggled to lift the sword. "He... can't even fight anymore...!"

I let out another growl. "Move, Shulk. This guy has to die."

"No!" he shouted, unleashing the beam. "Don't, Andrew! Don't become a cold murderer! Don't just-"

I let out a roar, and used my left hand to grab Shulk. "SHUT UP!" I threw him away. "RAH!"

I slashed across Jake's throat, and he stopped moving, staring at the sky for forever.

"Andrew!" yelled Shulk. "Why?! Why did you kill him?!"

I growled. "You wouldn't understand. You think everyone has at least a bit of good in them, right? Well, I've got news for you. Not everyone is like that. Some people are evil. Or not good, anyway." I pointed at Jake. "Like this guy."

He stared at me. His eyes blinked, shock expressed clearly alongside confusion. "What?"

I gaves a slight hiss. "Come on... let's just... go back." Exhaustion flooded me, and my whole body was engulfed in molasses and with weights of 100 pounds of lead for each limb.

Shulk turned, head down, walking away.

I staggered after him.

 _I'm not a good person either,_ I thought. _I'm someone who sins, over and over, and never stops._

 _I am the true villain of this story._

 **Thanks for reading!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 **By the way, you should probably skip this chapter... it's not very good...**

All five of them rested, just within Frontier Village.

I was outside the Nopon's village, with a few bandages wrapped around me. Sharla's rifle had jammed strongly from firing too many rounds, and Shulk was looking it over.

I groaned. All I was now was a massive, moving bruise that could talk and swing a sword.

I looked at my sword, now having lost its edge somewhat from the excessive amount of blood drawn onto it.

 _Now I'm a killer over everything I already was,_ I thought. _A cold blooded killer and a sinner. Great._

"Andrew." I didn't have to turn to know who it was.

"Shulk. Aren't you going over Sharla's rifle?"

"Already done." He yawned. "Pass me your weapon for a moment. In my pocket, I have a few tools... should help sharpen it..."

I turned and gave him my blade. He took out a whet stone and it was soon sharper then it ever was. "Here."

"Thanks." I took my blade back. There was a pause. "You disagree with me about killing that guy."

He sighed after a brief moment. "I do," he admitted. "There was no reason to, after all."

I grunted, almost wanting to laugh. "But there was. So that there would be one less person in the world who could kill, would be one thing. But..." I paused. "Doesn't matter. He's dead now."

"'Doesn't matter', huh?" Shulk paused. "Fine. We're going to see the village's elder, Melia's introducing us. Coming?"

"Yeah." I looked at the night sky, before following the Monado's wielder back into Frontier Village.

...

"Nopon of Frontier Village!" called Melia. "Melia Antiqua has returned. I request an audience with your chief. Chief, will you hear my request?"

"Melia here," mused a Nopon, flapping its arm things that aren't its arms but can act as its arms but aren't their actual arms SO WHAT ARE THEY?!

"Bird Lady here," called another Nopon.

"Melia back!"

"Bird Lady back!"

"Bird Lady?" mused Shulk, looking towards Melia.

Then a larger Nopon came out and walked towards us.

"My dear Melia," he rumbled. "It's good to see you again so soon."

 _But how come it looks like his eyes are closed, like Azama in Fire Emblem Fates?_ I wondered. _Wait... is it a joke? What? Or is it something darker? ARE THE NOPON A BUNCH OF- actually, never mind. Probably too complicated._

"And you look so well," he continued.

Melia looked away for a moment.

"And what of your men?" he asked.

I winced slightly, and Reyn looked at me. "What is it" he whispered.

"You'll find out," I whispered back.

Melia had her eyes closed, head faced downwards. "They are with one with the Bionis. They sacrificed themselves so that I may escape." Regret came into her voice.

Then she opened her eyes and looked at the Nopon's chief. "But this is not my reason for coming."

She gestured towards Dunga as she continued. "But these Homs need your help. Will you be so kind as to listen to their request?"

"What could a Hom Hom need of me?" he asked.

"They require safe passage to Eryth Sea," she responded.

"I see no reason to deny them," he spoke, eyes still closed. "And Melia, what of you?"

"I have unfinished business in this region," she replied, in a lower voice.

She then turned sideways because why not, I guess. "Once these Homs are safely on their way, I shall be on mine as well."

She moved off, Dunga turning to look at her as the half Homs and half... um... High Entia left.

Sharla turned to face Reyn. "That girl..." mused Sharla. _Despite her being older then you?_ I thought. "Something's troubling her."

"We found her half-dead and with Andrew." Dunban nodded towards me, and it was still shocking to see nothing more but a stub for hair right arm. "But I doubt she'll tell us the reason anytime soon."

"Andrew," spoke Shulk. "What happened to Melia?"

I paused. "Things happened and people died," I replied at last.

"The perfect definition of war," mused Dunban.

Shulk sighed. "Maybe... maybe we can help her. I'll go and talk to her."

"Melia... I see that she has gone to the diving board at the top," mused Dunga. "She had a very strong look of determination on her face."

"Then that's where we all have to go!" declared Shulk. "C'mon, guys!" He raced up the nearest stairs, leaving the rest of us to just follow him.

...

"Here!" grunted Shulk, pausing at the top of the tree. "Hey! There she is!"

"Shulk..." I managed. "Break time, okay...? I mean..." I coughed, and wiped a bit of blood from my mouth. "That... huff... was too... fast... okay?"

"Oh. Sorry. You guys stay here, I'll talk to her." He moved forward with a grunt.

The rest of us groaned and dragged ourselves after him.

"Melia." Shulk's voice, which had deepened after running the whole way, was now back to normal. "You're welcome to come with us."

She looked at the ground.

"Was it true?" he asked. "Was it just you and Andrew in the forest, then?"

"Ah... that thing... must be stopped by my hand." She looked up. "This is my pledge to those that have died."

 _Her bodyguards,_ I thought. "Hm..."

"Wounded by a girl..." mused Shulk, in his thoughtful pose. "You.. don't mean you're going to fight the Telethia?"

Melia gasped in shock, turning to face him. "How do you know of the Telethia?!" she demanded.

"When Andrew and I went to collect the Ether crystals, some Telethia attacked us," answered Shulk. "He and I managed to destroy them and get away."

"You defeated Telethia?!" she exclaimed. "Who are you?!"

 _Someone I bet you've fallen for at this point,_ I thought.

...

"The Monado..." Melia looked away from Shulk, as this may be a lot to take in. "So that sword can..."

"To tell you the truth, it was just the Telethia's spawn," replied Shulk. "Someone told me the primary Telethia is healing somewhere in the forest.

"It was you, wasn't it. You hurt the Telethia."

"It..." She paused.

"Melia?" he spoke, questioningly.

"The Telethia escaped from our homeland," she spoke. "And I am tasked with killing it." She looked downwards again.

"It cannot remain free. For the sake of my people, and the Nopon, it must be stopped."

"Melia... we can help you defeat it, if you want."

"Out of pity?" She almost glared at him.

 _Is this what the other people call sass?_ I wondered.

"No." He shook his head.

"Why, then?" she asked.

"It's... it's just that... I want..."

"Speak, Shulk," she spoke. "Or I will be forced to summon the Nopon chief to interpret for me."

"I... would like to help," he spoke.

"What would you possibly gain by aiding me?" she replied.

"I saw it," he spoke. "At the top of a black tower, you and I were fighting together. Fighting that faced Mechon.

"I, I also saw you fighting a huge Telethia."

"It threw me the first time 'n' all," sighed Reyn.

"Forgive me, Shulk, but what are you talking about?" She turned to face him. Again.

"Shulk can see visions of the future," declared Reyn.

Melia took a step back. "See... the future?!" she exclaimed. "And you expect me to believe this rubbish?!"

"Yes!" I spoke. "Though from a practical standpoint, no."

"Believe what you want, lady." Reyn folded his arms. "Same as I tell all the non-believers."

'Ha... that'll be me then," spoke Sharla, looking at him.

"Oh yeah!" smirked Reyn. "In any case..." He looked back at Melia. "One of the only reasons we've got this far was because of Shulk's visions, ya know?"

 _Is Naruto going to do something in this now?!_ I thought.

"If Shulk said he saw you in a vision, then you must be important to whatever's next," continued Reyn. "And... if you're tough enough to fight a faced Mechon, you're alright in my book."

"You've got my vote," spoke Dunban. "A lady should not go unaccompanied onto the battlefield."

"Excuse me!" interrupted Melia, before Sharla could speak up again. "I... I am quite capable of dispatching the beast alone! I require no assistance!"

"What about earlier?" I asked.

She glared at me, and Dunga waddled up to her in that moment.

"My dear, I apologize, but I could not help but overhear," he began. "Their offer sounds quite reasonable.

"The danger extends much further than our small dwelling. Makna itself is at risk.

"And we shall provide you with the strongest warrior of our clan."

 _Wait a second... RIKI?!_ I thought. "What...?"

"Chief Dunga, I..." began Melia.

"No need for thanks. He is equal, if not better, of the Hom Hom," interrupted Dunga.

"You do know we're listening?" spoke Reyn.

"The chosen Nopon hero will await you below," spoke Dunga. "I shall go ahead and prepare him. Please excuse me."

"A Nopon hero?" mused Reyn. "Now this I have to see.'

"Don't be like that," replied Shulk, but I could sense the laughter in his voice. "Let's meet him first."

"Wait... how are we going to get down?" I asked.

"Jumping!" yelled Shulk, dramatic as he ran. "Hah!" He leapt over the edge, and the rest of us looked over the edge in horror.

Thankfully, Shulk landed in water, though in this high up, that totally should've hurt him in some way.

"Huh," I grunted. "So are we all jumping, are what?"

"I'll join you quickly," spoke Melia, walking around the tree to get down.

Dunban, Reyn, Sharla and I all jumped, and hit the water. It was cold, but there was no clear impact of injury or whatever.

"May I introduce..." Dunga spoke as we climbed onto the platform. "Heropon Riki!" He turned and raised his arms.

"Yay, Riki!" called a Nopon. "Our Heropon!"

As that Nopon finished speaking a Nopon fell from above, bouncing off of Reyn's head.

"Watch out!" commented Dunban, as Riki rushed past him.

"Get off me!" gasped Sharla, pushing the Heropon away from her.

Melia finally caught up to us at that moment, and Riki was to be used as a volleyball as Melia passed him to Shulk. "To you!"

He grunted, passing him back into the air. Riki let out squeaks and gasps of pain as they did so.

"Right in the... TAKE THIS, FURBALL!" shouted Reyn, starting to run at the Nopon.

"Stop," I growled, using my sword to block his path.

"Hey! Andrew!" he shouted, trying to shove me away. I pushed back, and we were at a standstill for a few moments. He sighed, and gave up. "Fine."

By then, Riki had fallen on the ground, dazed from being used as a volleyball despite no one spiking him.

All six of us looked down at him, as he lay on his stomach. I withdrew my sword and pulled away a bit.

Then, a ton of things were being spoken all at once, about Riki, as all the Nopon present threw random bits and ends at their new Heropon, the most epic of Nopon.

"SILENCE!" shouted Dunga, his eyes opening for a brief moment as he shouted.

There was relative quiet and he waddled over to Riki, picking him off the ground.

"I introduce to you... this year's legendary Heropon... RIKI!" He waved the Nopon in front of us, who had x's for eyes.

"Ah..." There was... some unidentifiable expression in Melia's eyes.

Riki recovered and wiggled out of Dunga's grasp. "Ee! New Hom Hom friends!" He did a little dance. "Meet this year's legendary Heropon, Riki! Riki live to serve!" He struck a pose.

All of us stared at him. It was all I could do to prevent from laughing.

Dunban managed to compose himself and spoke. "A Heropon, you say? Not sure where you'll come in handy, but... ore the merrier."

"Shulk, Andrew. Are these Telethia as strong as they sound?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Shulk, and Dunban looked thoughtful. "They're as quick as lightning and can read your mind."

"Read your mind, eh?" mused the swordsman. "A mind-reading giant bird. No problem."

"How is that not a problem?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Eh."

"I can see their movement through the Monado, but even that's not enough to get the better of them," spoke Shulk.

"And we're going up against the daddy version," concluded Dunban. "No one blink for a second."

"Ok," replied Shulk.

"Eyes wide open," declared Reyn.

 _What was the point of that statement anyway?_ I wondered.

"And don't forget that Melia is our only chance of making it to Eryth Sea," spoke Dunban. "If anything happens to our guide, it's on our heads.

"The Telethia is our target, but don't forget about the person standing next to you."

 _Why is Dunban talking so much?!_ I thought. _What, is he falling for Melia or something?!_

 _Huh. Might explain some fanfictions I've seen, if that were true..._

"Dunban's right," added Sharla.

"I am... in your debt." Melia looked down at the ground. "My weaknesses are all too apparent."

"No worries, Melia!" spoke Shulk.

She turned to face him and the wielder of the Monado nodded at her.

 _Please tell me, for the love of god, there will be no love triangle,_ I thought.

"Riki has been informed of the Dinobeast, which you refer to as the Telethia," spoke Dunga. "Be safe, my Hom Hom friends." The Nopon chief then waddled off and Riki began to speak.

"Riki's friends, listen to Riki!" he spoke. "Dinobeast is big and scary! Friends get ready, friends help Riki get ready!"

"You... want us to get gear for you?" asked Shulk.

"Riki's friend right!" At this point, his arm things flapped slightly. "Hom Hom clever!

"Friends meet Riki when ready! Then friends and Riki leave together!"

He handed us a note, telling us the equipment he needed.

"Big attitude for a footrest," noted Reyn. "'Dinobeast is big and scary!' Yeah. That'll come in handy."

"Let's just spilt up and get the gear from the other Nopon," I replied.

"Is it just me, or did we just become Nopon mercenaries?" wondered Sharla.

Shulk shrugged. "Let's get that gear."

...

Soon, all of us were back with the gear Riki wanted.

"Ready to go!" declared the Nopon, dancing on the spot. "Come new friends, Riki's adventure begins!"

"Riki?" spoke Reyn, looking down at the new party member. "You do know where the Telethia is, don't you?"

"Of course Riki know!" responded the Nopon, before turning to Melia.

"Melly! Riki hear you hurt Dinobeast!" His arm things moved in the air, somehow letting the Nopon fly.

I almost couldn't hold in laughter. Riki flying with what looked like a teddy bear on a stick was golden.

"I did," she admitted. "But only a little."

Riki settled on the ground again. "When Dinobeast hurt, Riki know it go to place with Ether crystals. Then we find Dinobeast."

"Chief tell Riki! Chief always right!" As he spoke he did a little dance.

"So you do know a thing or two about this monster," noted Reyn, and he turned to everyone else as he continued to speak.

"Guess we'll be searching for Ether crystals, then."

Riki nodded at this, and all seven of us moved out of Frontier Village.

...

"Riki?" spoke Shulk, just as we were exiting the village. "Why are you the Heropon?"

He turned to Shulk. "Why?" he repeated. "Because Chief Dunga choose Riki!"

Shulk went into his thoughtful pose. "He chose you?" he mused. "So... you weren't chosen from birth or anything?"

"Friend wrong!" declared Riki. "Chief choose by instinct!"

"By instinct?!" exclaimed Reyn with a gasp or something.

"Why friend surprised?" asked Riki. "Chief have sharp instinct. Chief be village seer!"

"So that's how you became the Heropon?" mused Dunban. "Can't argue with that."

"But he is kind of..." Shulk scratched his hair. "Compact... for a warrior hero."

Riki groaned, somewhat looking at the ground. "Riki owns lots of monies to the village," he admitted. "If Riki defeat Dinobeast, village promise to forget my debts.

"So Riki like being the Heropon!" He perked up slightly at this, with a nod.

"Time to go, then," mused Shulk. "Looking through Makna Forest for some Ether crystals."

"Sounds good," replied Dunban. "Let's go!"

We took off, Riki waddling close to us.

 _The Legendary Heropon..._ I thought.

 _Truly, now we are unstoppable._

 **Thanks for reading!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"So this is it," mused Shulk. "There's a massive trail of Ether crystals... leading up to that... and this big grey area..."

"Ooh, what is this?!" exclaimed the Heropon. "Riki never see before!

"This not Riki's Makna! Riki never see before!"

"To see that it has caused this much damage..." murmured Melia.

"What do you mean?" asked Sharla.

I moved forward, one hand on my sword. I felt a bit stronger all of a sudden compared to literally ten seconds ago.

"Are you telling me the Telethia did this?" added Dunban.

 _No, it's Melia,_ I thought. _She was the culprit behind this, like the first one. What are you expecting, Dunban?_

"Telethia drain and absorb the surrounding area of all its Ether," she stated.

I blinked. _So I feel better because of the lack of Ether?_ I thought. "Huh..."

"That's it!" exclaimed Shulk. "The Telethia is absorbing the Ether, which is causing the natural environment to change."

Melia turned to Shulk. "Shulk, the Telethia can read your mind. Expect it to know what you will do before you do it."

"He already knows that!" I called. The half-High Entian (I think?) ignored me.

Shulk glanced at me for a moment. "I know," he spoke, turning back to Melia. "I'll target its antenna and stop its ability to read all of our minds. With the Monado on our side... it doesn't stand a chance."

"It's much more powerful than its offspring," she warned. "Do not expect it to fall so easily." With that she turned back to the grey area and began to move away.

"I won't," replied Shulk. "But he have to trust in the Monado," he muttered.

All seven of us walked to the middle of the grey area and there was a loud screech.

I drew my sword, alarm flaring through me. "Yay," I deadpanned. "A massive flying beast. Just what I always wanted to fight."

There were multiple gasps as the Telethia rushed by using an attack that could be Brave Bird.

"Stick together, everyone!" yelled Reyn.

"Dinobeast!" exclaimed Riki. "Big as Riki imagined!"

Everyone else drew their weapons, and the beam pulsed from the Monado.

"The Telethia!" spoke Melia. She moved forward, in front of Shulk.

"I take this chance to bring vengeance for my brethren, and fulfill my duty!" she declared.

"Shulk!" She looked at him for a moment. "I will trap it and cease its movement!"

She then ran forward, almost like an idiot. "Strike when the time is right!"

"Melia!" shouted the Monado's wielder, running forward after her.

She stopped running, covering her eyes as a golden light flares up from her staff. "Unh..." She looks at the beast as a golden light fills her eyes. "BE STILL!" The light rushes forward at the Telethia.

It howled, pausing in responce to Melia's Ether attack.

"Oh yeah!" smirked Reyn, as he and Dunban and Sharla all run forward. "She's nifty with that staff!"

I winced, and noticed the Heropon behind me. "Well?" I smirked. "Ready, Heropon Riki?"

He looked back at me. "Riki ready for Dinobeast!" He rushed forward to join the others.

"I knew it!" grunted Sharla. "She can control Ether energy without catalysts or rifle shells!"

Dunban breathed more heavily as he ran forward, his stub for a right arm bandaged a bit. "I've... heard that such people exist."

Everyone came into place before the Telethia. "But I never thought she would be one," admitted the Monado's former wielder.

"Hey, Andrew!" shouted Shulk. "Coming?!"

"Yeah." I moved forward, and stood just behind everyone else.

Melia rushed forward, and Dunban looked back at us. "Shulk, Reyn, Sharla, Andrew!" he grunted. "Protect Melia at all costs!"

"On it!" replied Reyn, moving forward after Shulk and Melia.

"Right!" As Sharla spoke she aimed with Gadolt's rifle.

Shulk began to yell as he ran forward. "YAH!"

The Telethia screamed a harsh cry, swinging its tail at us.

"Look out!" gasped Shulk, tackling Melia to take her to the ground. Reyn changed his Driver to its defensive mode to block the attack, and Riki simply used his arm things to fly over the tail.

"Lurgy!" yelled the Nopon, the Telethia evading the attack with ease. "Oh?!"

"Riki, don't bother!" grunted Shulk. "It can read your mind!"

Melia moved in, whacking at the beast with her staff. It didn't even react, and raised a claw to swipe at her.

"Hah!" I used Defensive Reversal and moved in front of her, though as I turned the Telethia hit me in my back instead of my front where I could defend with my blade. "UGH?!" I staggered back. "Derp."

The Telethia roared, slamming a claw down. A massive burst of Ether struck all of us at once, slamming us all backwards.

"UGH!" gasped Shulk, as the Monado fell out of his grip. "No...!"

I groaned. "It's... doing it again?!" There was no way this wouldn't be lethal to someone, either. All of us on the ground, claw in the air ready to unleash Ether? Doubtful.

"Ugh?!" _I can't... slow down time!_ I realized. _Because of the remnants of that last attack?!_

"Ah...!" gasped Melia, as elementals floated in the air above her head. She fired all three above her head swiftly, and it staggered for a brief moment from the unexpected attack. Its claw fell and just missed.

"Shulk, get up, man!" yelled Reyn, getting his friend off the ground. "Uh-oh... Sharla! Shulk's badly hurt! Where's...?"

"My rifle... I dropped it during that attack!" gasped Sharla. "Oh, no!"

Blood pumped from the stomach area of Shulk. "UGH!" He coughed up blood. "Sorry... guys..."

"Riki help Shulk!" declared the Heropon, moving to Shulk. "YOU CAN DO IT!"

"Guys!" shouted Dunban, and I turned to see the Telethia claw for the swordsman, who just managed to deflect it from sheer luck. "Some help here!"

"Shulk, stay back!" I told him. "Let Sharla and Riki heal you! Reyn, cover them if the Telethia goes for you guys! Riki, grab the Monado! Sharla, try and get your rifle!

"Melia, you and I will have to join Dunban!" I ran forward, leaping over Dunban to block a slash with Cross Slash. "Ugh...!" I was flown back from the recoil, rising as quick as I could. "Crap...!"

"Summon Bolt!" declared the mage. "Summon Aqua! Summon Copy!" She breathed out. "HAH!" She shot them at the Telethia, and a aura surrounded her for a moment. "MIND BLAST!"

"What?!" exclaimed Dunban, as thee Telethia flinched from the attack.

"It shouldn't be able to read your mind for a little bit!" shouted Melia. "The time to attack is now!"

I smirked. "Yeah!" I moved closer, using Slide Edge to get on top of the beast. "Hi, everyone!" I roared, using Stab Strike to attack the beast.

"Serene Heart!" breathed out Dunban. "Okay...!"

"Dundun!" yelled Riki, moving forward. "Bitey Bitey!"

"Huff!" gasped Shulk, staggering. "Ugh...! I can't... move...!"

Sharla gasped, rifle back in her grasp. "Shulk, what happened to you?!" she exclaimed, firing a healing shot into him.

He groaned. "I..." He threw up blood. "UGH!"

"Shulk!" yelled Dunban and Reyn, both distracted for a moment.

And Melia's Mind Blast Art expired at the same moment. Great.

The Telethia used a claw and they sunk into me. "Oh no!" gasped Melia.

"I'm fine, don't worry!" I coughed, morphing. "RAH!" I used my free left hand to pull the claw out of me, and I cut the fingers off using Whip Slash. "Unh...?!" I reverted to normal and the Telethia shook me off. "Ugh!" I groaned, hitting the ground.

 _That Telethia..._ "When it's able to read our minds, it's emitting an aura of Ether!" I exclaimed. "Damn it! Must be one concentrated aura, too...!"

"F-F-Freezinate!" declared Riki, his Art lunging at the Telethia. It moved, but blinded in pain somewhat from me cutting off its claws, the Art glanced off it and Chill appeared.

The Telethia roared, slamming its claw down again. Ether burst all around us, forcing us all back. "Shoot!" cursed Dunban.

"This isn't good!" I panted. "I can't use my powers, Shulk's throwing up blood, and we can barely hit it even with Ether attacks!"

"Summon Flare!" gasped Melia, on his knees. "Huff... I must slay this beast!" She got to her feet again. "AH!"

Dunban deflected an attack aimed for her. "Stay focussed!" he grunted, as a tail whipped him away. "Ugh!"

"HAPPY HAPPY!" shouted Riki, dancing on the spot. Energy seemed to fill me. "Ooh! Riki and friends do Chain Attack!"

"A Chain Attack?!" I panted. "Riki, how are we going to hit this thing, even with a Chain Attack?!"

"Huff...!" Shulk arose to his feet. "I'll... use the Monado..." He had it in his grasp again. "I'll... get it to stop reading our minds for a moment... then we have to use all our Arts we can... and Daze it!

"That... should stop it... from reading our minds for a while!"

"Good idea!" declared Reyn. "Alright!"

"Everyone... ready?!" he panted. "HAH!" The Monado's beam turned green and a green aerial slash rushed through the air and hit the Telethia. It screamed and Shulk collapsed.

"HAH!" shouted Melia. "MANIFEST YOURSELF!" A massive fireball moved forward and struck the Telethia.

"RAH!" I roared, using Stab Strike. Beside me, Sharla used Metal Blast while Reyn used Wild Down.

"ROLY POLY KEEP ON ROLIIIIIIIIIIING!" shouted Riki, attacking.

"RAH!" yelled Dunban, leaping on top of the Telethia as it collapsed. "HAH!" he yelled, stabbing it.

At the same time, Sharla and Melia were attacking with their Ether attacks for as much damage as possible.

It screamed in pain, and returned to normal, shaking off the Topple and Break quickly.

"What?" gasped Shulk. "No...!"

It flew up, and Dunban roared as he cut off the wing, leaping off.

As the Herohom landed on the ground, the Heropon cheered.

The Telethia hissed as it grew back its wing, and the fingers I cut off earlier.

"What the?!" exclaimed Dunban.

"Dinobeast grown back thing!" gasped Riki.

"You... got... to be kidding me!" panted Dunban.

The Telethia roared at us.

"It's no good!" panted Sharla. "My Ether shots are having no effect!"

"Ugh... it..." Shulk managed to rise again. "Its... regenerative power... is too much...!"

Melia moved forward, in front of Shulk. "It... is all right, Shulk."

He looked at her. "Huh?"

"Destroying the Telethia is beyond us!"

All six of us stared at her.

"We should cut our losses and mourn those who perished."

"NO!" I roared. "Never!" I coughed. "Ugh... if... if we don't beat this thing... WHO WILL?!"

"Andrew's... right..." coughed Shulk, using the Monado to support himself. "N... never, Melia...!

"The men you lost... I know they were dear to you...

She looked at him with a melancholy expression in her eyes as he continued.

"I know... only too well... the desire for revenge," he spoke. "And..." His hands trembled as the Monado's beam pulsed forward, and he lifted it in one hand. "And the crushing pain of losing those... who are close to you.

"I... can't stand by... and let another person experience what I have. Not... IF I CAN HELP IT!" he roared, the Monado's light turning green again. The symbol for 'Destroy' flashed on it.

"This monster... IS GOING DOWN!" he shouted, sending a massive green slash through the air. The Telethia screamed as it touched it.

"Now, I've trapped him with the Monado!" he declared. "Everyone else... HIT THE TELETHIA WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!" he screamed, as a purple aura surrounded the blade itself, not affecting the light. "Compressed... BUSTER!"

"MAGNUM CHARGE!" shouted Reyn, an aura surrounding him. "This is it! When the going get going, the tough get tough!"

"Ha!" laughed Riki. "Even Riki know that not right!"

Melia looked at all of us. "Thank you..."

"Ready?!" he asked her, and she nodded. "LET'S GO!"

All os us charged forward. "BURST END!" shouted Melia, lowering the beast's defensive abilities.

I couldn't help but smile. "Dunban! Together, let's cut off those wings!" I told him.

He nodded. "Alright! Everyone, try and Daze it!" he yelled, leaping for the Telethia. "ANDREW!"

"YEAH!" I managed to slow time, though not for long. I got on top of the Telethia and time returned to normal. "RAH!" Dunban and I cut off the wings at the same time, making the Telethia howl in pain. "Awesome!"

Both of us leapt off and Reyn used Sword Drive, forcing the Telethia backwards a little bit. "Yeah!"

"Sneaky!" declared Riki, bashing at the Dinobeast with his Biter.

The Telethia shrieked, growing back the wings. "Well, that was quick," noted Dunban.

"Sorry," I panted. "Shouldn't have gone with that plan after all, huh?"

"If... if its regenerative power is tiring it out, then we should be getting closer to defeating this Telethia," spoke Shulk. "We just have to keep at it, guys! Let's go!"

"Shulk's right!" shouted Sharla, firing a massive load of Ether into the air. It drifted down to heal all of us. "Just... cover me for a moment, I have to cool my rifle!"

"Gotcha!" grunted Reyn, moving back to defend the shooter, just blocking a tail whip. "Whoa!"

"Gale Slash!" shouted Dunban, though the Telethia moved, most likely out of reflex, to make it a glancing blow. "I still inflicted Bleed...!"

"Hah!" I shouted, using Aura Wave to launch shockwaves the Telethia flew up to dodge. "Darn," I cursed.

"Summon Bolt!" declared Melia. "I... am in your debt, everyone. Thank you for helping me defeat this beast." As she spoke a golden aura surrounded her. "But the time for this to end is now!" she declared.

"Yeah!" declared Reyn with a smirk, his Driver switching modes to its offensive mode again.

"Alright... I can use Monado Purge one more time," panted Shulk, as the compressed Buster Art wore off. "In that moment, everyone, we all strike at once! Just use the most powerful Art you have!"

"How about a Chain Attack?" spoke Reyn, panting. "Should be able to beat this thing down in one!"

"Good idea," replied Shulk, as the Monado's light turned green again. "Altogether for a Chain Attack!"

All six of us readied ourselves as Shulk struck with an aerial green slash. The Telethia hissed at it.

"Reyn, you're up!" yelled Shulk, staggering backwards as his best friend moved forward.

"SWORD DRIVE!" he roared, his own attack throwing him backwards from the best. "Dunban!"

"Worldly Slash!" declared the swordsman, and he moved back as Sharla readied her rifle.

"Head Shot," mused the sharpshooter, before her rifle round pierced an eye of the Telethia.

"Yeah, Riki go!" chirped the Heropon, bouncing forward. "YOINK!"

I stifled laughter. "Melia, end it," I spoke, looking at her.

She nodded. "MANIFEST YOURSELF!" A massive bolt of lightning struck from above and impaled through the beast.

In that bolt of magic was a golden glow, which made the bolt look like something else.

It stirred, feeble, before it faltered and exploded. Or imploded. Or something. SCIENCE!

I breathed out, placing my sword on my back again.

Everyone cheered, among themselves, moving away from the battlefield.

"Brilliant thinking," Sharla told Shulk. "Even though the Telethia can absorb large amounts of Ether and regenerate at an incredible rate...

"Absorbing so much energy caused it to implode."

"Who would have thought?" mused Dunban. "Brute force wins again. Nothing like an old-fashioned scrap."

Shulk turned as Dunban continued. "Dickson would've been proud."

 _Hell no he wouldn't!_ I thought. _He shoots Shulk in the back and bad stuff happens! HE IS NOT PROUD!_

"It was the only way I could think of," admitted Shulk. "If there had been another way..." _Then what?_

"Don't listen to Dunban," interrupted Reyn. "Soon you and that Monado will be unstoppable."

 _Not that Monado... but he will be unstoppable with a Monado,_ I thought. "Huh..."

"It was like at Tephra Cave," he stated. "It was almost... natural, instinctive. The Monado responded to me, and I harnessed a new power."

"You'll get your chance, Shulk," his friend told him. "We'll turn that faced Mechon into scrap."

"I know. That's what keeps me going," he mused. Then his expression changed to a happier one.

"Let's go back to Frontier Village," spoke Shulk, starting to move away. "Huh...? Melia...?" He looked back at her as she stayed in the grey area. "What are you...?"

She looked at the ground, then looked at the sky. "Howard, Garan, Damil, Ariel..." She murmured. "Are you there?"

 _Ooh... she can talk to ghosts...!_ I thought, imagining my thoughts in a weird cliche ghost voice.

Melia closed her eyes. "I did it... it's dead, did you see?"

Shulk and us waited, and she turned to face us.

"I thank you again for your aid," she spoke. "Justice... has been served."

"You're welcome," spoke Shulk. "Besides... it was mostly you."

"Dinobeast!" spoke the Nopon, who had been bouncing all over the place. "Heropon Riki ready for round two!"

"Too bad that the fight's all over," spoke Dunban.

"Riki know," he replied. "But Riki still ready!" He did a little dance as he spoke.

"Let's go back," spoke Shulk, looking like e might laugh. "Back to Frontier Village."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Heropon Riki be proud!" declared a Nopon, and Riki danced in front of him.

"Heropon Riki tough guy!" shouted another.

"HEROPON RIKI BESTEST!"

"Look at him," scoffed Reyn. "Didn't do the heavy lifting and he gets all the praise."

"Oh, let him have this one," responded Sharla, looking at her friend.

Who will definitely become something more important to her.

"A few days ago the villagers wouldn't give him the time of day," she continued.

"How do you know that?" I asked, leaning against a piece of wood and groaning at how much I hurt from bruises.

She shrugged. "He told us, you know. On the way back."

"Did he?" I wondered.

"He did," she confirmed. "Besides... won't you miss the legendary Heropon... just a bit?"

"I guess so," admitted Reyn. "Kinda fun to have a Nopon along for the ride."

"Chief Dunga!" spoke Riki, as he suddenly stops dancing and turns to the older Nopon.

"Riki beat Dinobeast! Does Riki still have debt?"

"No, Riki," responded Dunga. "Your debts are repaid."

"Yay!" cheered the Heropon.

"However!' continued the Nopon chief. "While you were gone, your littlepon eat like ravenous Orluga! It set Chief Dunga back quite a bit."

Riki looked horrified as Dunga continued. "NOPON OF FRONTIER VILLAGE!" called Dunga, turning from the Heropon.

"A new prophecy has been told! Our Heropon, slayer of Dinobeast, will further his legend by accompanying the Hom Hom on their travels!

"And bringing peace to the lands of Bionis!"

"Oh...! Riki never hear this!" exclaimed Riki.

Dunga turned back to him. "It was prophesied many years ago," he whispered.

"Chief lying!" declared Riki, as anger flared through his face and voice. "Chief make up prophecy one minute ago! Oh, Riki mad!"

"Riki!" declared Dunga, waving his arms for reasons. "Go with these people. For the sake of the village, you must go.

"My instinct is never wrong."

Riki let out a long groan, looking at the ground.

"Do not worry, Riki," spoke Dunga. "Your littlepons will be taken care of... ho ho ho..."

"What?" I mumbled.

From the side all of Riki's children came closer, and he turned to face them.

"Dadapon! Stomach rumble!" declared one of his little Nopon.

"Dadapon, need food!" spoke up another.

"Dadapon, need food now!"

"Dada?" exclaimed Reyn. "Riki, what on Bionis is going on?!"

Riki turned towards us. "Friends... meet Riki wifeypon and littlepon."

"You have got to be joking!" spoke Reyn, as everyone but me flinched back.

"Wife... and children?!" gaped Shulk. "Riki, how old are you?!"

"Riki have 40 years!" he declared. "Heh heh... oh, friends look puzzled."

"Not puzzled," replied Shulk. "Just... surprised!"

"Riki!" The Heropon turned as his wife came closer and looked at him. "Oka borrow monies for littlepon's food!

"Chief Dunga know best! Riki must work hard for littlepon to have good life!"

"R-r-r... Riki will!" He turned from his wife, probably a bit scared. "Okay, Oka!"

He looked at all of us. "Riki happy to join friends!" he declared.

"Reyn happy too," smirked the Homs. "Come on, furball."

"Now you can return with your head held high, my dear!" spoke Dunga, looking at Melia. "Heh heh heh..."

"Indeed," agreed Melia. "Thank you, Dunga. Thank you for your gracious help."

"Not at all!" replied Dunga. "Peace has been destroyed to the Makna region! On behalf of all Nopon... thank you!"

"Chief Dunga is very fond of Melia," noted Sharla.

Reyn turned towards her. "Same Hom Hom, different world," he spoke. "Not fair if you ask me."

Melia gazed over the party, where Riki was dancing. "Chief Dunga," she spoke suddenly, turning back to him.

"Will you grant these Homs passage to Eryth Sea? It is my promise to them."

"Without question!" declared Dunga. "These Hom Hom fought valiantly in aid of our village!

"And a request by you, my dear, cannot go unanswered. Thus, I shall inform the villagers at once."

"You are too kind," spoke Melia, bowing to the Chief.

Melia walked back towards all of us. "The Chief has spoken," she declared.

"You should depart for Eryth Sea at once. Prepare your things and meet me when you are ready."

With those words she moved away.

"Are we going to head there right away?" I groaned to Shulk, heaving my body from the ground.

He looked at me. "Are you okay, Andrew? You... seem really tired."

"You could say that," I yawned. "Geez... like... four fights... and no sleep..."

"It's pretty late at night now," mused Shulk. "Oh... Chief Dunga. Could we all stay here for the night?"

"Of course, Hom Hom friends!" responded the old Nopon. "For slaying the Dinobeast, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish."

"Thanks," nodded Shulk. "Listen... you guys get ready to sleep. It's been a long day, and..." A loud yawn came from the Monado's wielder. "Ugh... I'll... I'll talk to Melia... tell her we're staying here tonight..."

"No, Shulk." Dunban stood from where he had sat down. "I'll go. You look exhausted, and you should rest."

"Are you sure, Dunban?"

"Quite sure. Now, you go rest and I will talk to Melia." The now one-armed swordsman then moved away.

I groaned. "Wait... where are we gonna sleep?"

"Hm... I'm sorry, Hom Hom friends, but the only spot where you would be able to sleep among yourselves would be at the top," spoke Dunga.

"At the top of the tree?" groaned Reyn, who had his helmet in his hands.

"Oh, cheer up," spoke Sharla. "It'll be fine."

I dragged my lead-covered body after everyone, and to the top of the tree.

"Awesome view from here," grunted Reyn, setting down a sleeping bag from somewhere in his suit of armour.

"Sure is," agreed Shulk. "Huh... wonder where Melia went..."

"I wonder if she'll join us..." murmured Sharla.

"Her choice," I mumbled, tiredness overwhelming me. "Wait... where did Riki go?"

"Oh, he's staying with his family for the night," spoke Shulk, setting up his own sleeping bag. "It'll... probably be a long time before he can go back to them."

 _If he ever will return,_ I thought. And thoughts struck me in that moment. Which I have thought before.

 _All of these people... all of them have... or had... family. Shulk lost his parents, but he has Dunban, Reyn, and... well, Fiora, but he doesn't know that right now._

 _Reyn has Shulk, and in time, he's definitely gonna have Sharla at his back... but he's lost his parents too..._

 _Dunban... he's lost his sister, and Dickson is going to be a douche and betray everyone..._

 _They all have a story of lost, of some kind. Where does that leave me?_

 _I... haven't lost any close family members, but I act so dark.. why?_

Shulk yawned, interrupting my thoughts. "Anyway... get... get some rest, everyone."

"What about you, Shulk?" mumbled Reyn as he settled into his sleeping bag, taking off his armour.

"I... I'll wait for Dunban and Melia," he managed, seeming to drift off before snapping awake again. "Ugh..."

"Sleep... ugh. Sleep, Shulk," I groaned. "I bet you've used Battle Soul to manage to keep on using the Monado's abilities, but that really tires you out."

He blinked. "H... how... do... y..." Before he could finish the question he fell asleep, snug in his sleeping bag.

I stood with a grunt. I didn't have a sleeping bag, but I would be fine without one.

"Heh... good night, Shulk. Andrew... you gonna be alright?" asked Reyn.

"Yeah," I replied, though Sharla looked at me. "What?"

"Andrew... what happened with that spearman who took you away? All we saw when you and Shulk came back was that you were covered in blood and injures. So what happened?"

I sighed. "I killed him," I replied. "Shulk only came at the end, when I was about to kill him."

Sharla's eyes widened. "Are... are you telling me that you killed a man?"

"I did," I responded. "I did it because otherwise he would kill me. Don't lecture, please. I'm tired and..." Another yawn escaped me, despite my attempts to not yawn. "Ugh..."

She yawned, herself. "Unh... alright..." She lay in her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

I looked out over the water. _Didn't Riki say that in the village, if the Nopon want to get married, they have to jump from here into that water?_ I thought. _And a Nopon dies doing it, so the Nopon he would've married... commits suicide._

I winced. "That's not a good," I muttered.

"What is?" asked Dunban, as he walked in with Melia.

"Just thinking," I responded. "Sh... should... we keep guard?"

"Perhaps," mused Dunban. "I'll take the first w-"

"No," interrupted Melia. "There is no need. The Nopon are strong fighters and... quite friendly. There will be no need for guards."

"Alright." From his pocket Dunban revealed a sleeping bag. "Hm? Melia, do you not have one of your own?"

"No," she admitted. "But it will not be necessary." she spoke afterwards.

"You take this, then, my Highness," responded the swordsman, bowing to the princess. "I am quite able to sleep on the ground. It would be below you to sleep on the ground, I presume?"

A light blush snuck its way onto Melia's face. "Um..." She simply took the sleeping bag and lay down, facing away from Dunban.

"Heh." There was a smile on Dunban's face as he turned to me. "Sorry, Andrew. i only have one sleeping bag."

"It's fine," I replied with a yawn. "I've had a bit of experience sleeping on the ground too."

"Ah." He lay down. "Andrew... is something bothering you?"

I sighed. "You would say that. I was thinking... I don't think I'm skilled enough with a sword."

"Oh?" I could feel Dunban's eyes looking at my back. "So what do you want to try?"

"Uh... could... could you please train me?" I asked, looking at him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Hm... and you think a swordsman with one less arm than you is more capable with a blade?"

"Yeah."

I barely held out my sword in time to block his stab.

"Hm..." He grunted. "I'm sorry, Andrew. But all swordsmen must hone their skills on their own, because there is no right way to wield a sword. There are wrong ones, but no right ones."

"Didn't Shulk say you trained him?"

"That was when he was just ten years old." At his words sadness filled his eyes for a moment before it disappeared.

"You... you are skilled, in your own right. I wouldn't have anything to teach you. Just know that weak instincts dull your blade."

I blinked. "Alright... I thank you for trying," I replied. I yawned. "Ugh..."

Dunban smiled. "Heh... go rest, Andrew. Tomorrow will be a long day, likely as long as today was."

"Right," I muttered, before darkness swept over me.

...

"So that above us... is Eryth Sea?" I spoke, blinking. I felt energized, but still bruised.

"Indeed," replied Melia. I looked at her. Earlier she had told us she wanted to be our guide to Eryth Sea, but I had a feeling that some guards would arrest us regardless. Because watching a YouTuber play a game gives KNOWLEDGE!

"As well, no one may enter Prison Island without imperial sanction," she spoke.

"Imperial sanction?" repeated Dunban. "That means... we'll be needing someone to grant us entry.

"I've heard that Eryth Sea is home to an empire called the High Entia. They may be our best chance."

"You are knowledgeable for a Homs," mused Melia.

Dunban smirked, looking at her. "Heh..."

"Sanctions?" echoed Reyn. "Empires? Can someone help me out here?"

Sharla sighed, before she began explaining it to Reyn.

Then there was historic things discussed that if I mentioned in Socials class for an exam, I would probably fail the class.

"So... when do we get to meet these High Entia folk?" asked Reyn, slamming a palm to a fist.

"You are so... Forget it." Sharla placed a hand to her head with another sigh.

"First we must travel to the imperial capital," spoke Melia. _Alcamoth!_

Dunban nodded. "We'll see how easy it is to see this Emperor," he spoke.

"It was my promise to be your guide," reminded Melia. "I will not break it."

"So... how are we gonna get to Eryth Sea?" asked Shulk.

"We first have to talk to that Nopon." The High Entian stepped forward.

"Me can send you to Eryth Sea in a flash of light," declared the Nopon. "Are you ready to go?"

Shulk nodded. "Yes. Please take us there."

In the water emerged a pod thing that sent waters seemingly to the heavens, like a reverse waterfall.

"What is it?!" exclaimed Reyn.

"Friends, jump in ball!" declared Riki, doing another little dance. "All go to Eryth! Heh!"

"Jump?" repeated Reyn. "In that? You're nuts, furball!"

Melia turned to face the group of us. "You have nothing to fear," she spoke, loud, over the sound of crashing water. "This will take us to Eryth Sea."

One by one we all entered the pod of glowing stuff.

"Whoa!" I gasped, suddenly landing on the ground. "Ugh! Ow, that hurt."

Melia looked towards all of us, as we were all there.

"Welcome to Eryth Sea."

 **Thanks for** **reading**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

And our first visit to Eryth Sea instantly began with an attack by three mean reptile things that look like the reptiles in Devil May Cry 1, in Mission 9 before obtaining Ifrit.

"And a nice welcome from the wild life, too, alright!" I spoke, drawing my sword and meeting a swing from one of the three reptiles, which had a long curved blade and a shield.

"This was not what I was expecting," murmured Melia, summoning elementals above her head. "What happened...?"

"Let's just take them down!" yelled Reyn, grabbing his Driver and rushing after another reptile.

"Uh... Melia, back up Andrew!" shouted Shulk. "And Riki, you too! Sharla, support Reyn! Dunban, help me out!" called the blonde as he unleashed the Monado's beam. "Stream Edge!"

"Andrew, move!" shouted Melia, and I dove out of the way as a massive blast of water hit the monster. "That shield..."

"It's cracked, but it's still so sturdy!" I commented, dodging a wide sword strike. "Yikes!" I moved backwards, and blade met blade. "Hi!" I staggered as the shield was shoved forward. "Oh, this can't be good...!"

"Andrew!" gasped Melia, as the curved blade flashed towards me.

"Hah!" I utilized Defensive Reversal, deflecting the blow. "I'm gonna destroy that shield!" I lunged, using Stab Strike. The shield moved forward to defend, and I switched the Art, holding my sword back again. "Whip Slash!"

"Manifest yourself!" called Melia, and a large fireball burned the reptile. It howled in pain, staggering. "ANDREW!"

"Yeah!" I stabbed, and the reptile raised its sword in instinct. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" I activated Time Slow, and my stab pierced through the foe's face, pinning it to the ground. Time returned to normal.

"Die!" I twisted the blade, before taking out my sword and using Cross Slash to cut it. It fell limp, dead. "Yea-"

I was interrupted by Sharla slamming into me. "UGH!" both of us shouted, soon sliding to a halt.

"Ugh...! Reyn!" gasped Sharla. Blood pumped from his body as he lay on the ground, staining the ground beneath him red.

"He can't catch a break with being hurt," I muttered. "Ah!'

The reptile Sharla and Reyn had been fighting stood over the Homs, claws raised to cut into Reyn's exposed throat.

"REYN!" screamed Shulk, as he, Dunban and Riki struggled with the last reptile beast.

"Oh, hell no!" I shouted, morphing into my Soul Trigger state. "HAH!" I lunged forward, my blade's tip just blocking the claw.

However, my blade plummeted, nearly cutting Reyn's throat. "UGH!" I cursed, as a blade stabbed through me. "Crap...!"

The reptile's face leaned close to me, and I could see its beady eyes laughing at me.

"Andrew, get Reyn out of the way!"

I grunted, straining. "Ah... RAH!" I managed to slow time as well, grabbing Reyn and moving away from the reptile, the blade still in me. "Ugh!" I fell to one knee with a gasp, feeling weak, as everything came back all at once. "What...?"

"MANIFEST YOURSELF!" demanded Melia, and a large lightning bolt impaled the beast, pinning it to the ground.

Sharla came over to me. "Andrew... that blade was coated in poison!" she realized, looking Reyn and I over. "Oh, no...!" She shoved a hand in her pocket, and soon got out a small bottle. "Antidote... Andrew, smear a little of that cream on yourself, and you should be fine. Reyn..." She looked over the man, eyes narrowing as she quickly took back the bottle.

"Sorry, Sharla..." he groaned. "Making... making more work... for the medic... huh...?"

"You'll be fine," she spoke. "Andrew, help me take off his armour. It's pierced through it...!"

I assisted her in taking Reyn's armour off, and she began to smear the antidote cream on him, before aiming with her rifle.

"SHARLA! ANDREW!" screamed Shulk. "LOOK OUT!"

I turned with a gasp. I felt sluggish, from the aftereffects of the poison.

The reptile's claws and sword were flashing forward, dropping its shield in favour of the chance of doing more damage.

"Ugh...!" I grunted, using Whip Slash. I managed to block the tip and the claws at the same time. "Damn...!" I was being shoved backwards, against Sharla. She gasped as I began to move her backwards. "Sorry...!" I hissed, through my teeth.

"Tempest Kick!" yelled Dunban, striking at the beast.

"Burninate!" yelled Riki, burning the reptile. However, it still fixed its eyes on me, and I was pushing back, but not enough. Its blade and claws were getting closer to Sharla, and I was barely slowing it down.

"Guys...!" I managed, straining. "Help...!"

Sharla gasped. "No! My rifle!" she exclaimed, and at the edge of my eyesight I saw her drop the gun down a cliff. "NO!"

"BATTLE SOUL!" shouted Shulk, panting. "Huff...! Buster, compressed... and BUSTER!" He unleashed the beam, leaping into the air as he did so. "RAH!" He descended, impaling the beast and pinning it to the ground, the beam returning to its normal length. "Phew..."

"Thanks," I breathed, moving away from Sharla.

"Is he OK?" asked Shulk, crouching beside his childhood friend.

"I can heal him, but... I dropped my gun down there," replied Sharla.

"Oh... I'll go down and grab it," replied Shulk, the aura around the Monado vanishing. "Jump!" He leapt down.

"That was tough," panted Dunban. "Reyn... he gets hurt more then any of us."

"Maybe it a curse!" spoke Riki, looking at the Homs. "Reyn is cursed!"

"Oh, god," I groaned. "I bet that... maybe if I don't say it, it won't happen."

A massive Orluga leapt off a cliff and roared at all of us.

"GODDAMNIT!"

"What were you going to say?!" yelled Dunban, drawing his blade again.

"It's like... every time one of us get injured and it'll take a while to heal, something massive is going to show up that we need everyone ready to combat!" I replied, launching shockwaves from my blade.

"Really? Friends have luck like that?" asked Riki, blocking an attack using his Biter. "AH!"

"In fact, yes, Heropon!" I shouted, using my sword to just block an attack. "Ugh!" I staggered backwards.

"Summon Flare! Manifest yourself!" called Melia, making a fireball crash on the Orluga.

It growled, before roaring and racing at the mage at amazing speed.

"I don't think so!" declared Dunban, getting in the way and deflecting a fist.

 _Huh... a Faceless would look like this thing if Faceless had faces!_ I thought, moving forward. "Hah!" I used Slide Edge and got on top of the beast, for it to grab and throw me into Riki. "Ow!"

"Eek!" Riki groaned, and recovered quickly. "Andrew! You okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah. Riki, you'd ought to heal Reyn," I grunted. "Seems like... Shulk!" I yelled. "ARE YOU FIGHTING SOMETHING?!"

"Yeah!" he called back. "A massive... UGH!" There was a sound of a dull thud, and I could see a bit of fire coming from somewhere the cliff ended. "A MASSIVE DRAGON!"

"You have got to be kidding me," I groaned. "God... Dunban, Melia!" I turned and raised my blade. Dunban's blade deflected off it and I caught his anti-Mechon blade. "Dunban... aw, crap..."

The swordsman was punched backwards, and Melia lay on the ground, injured.

"This has been such an awesome visit," I grunted, tossing Dunban's blade to the Homs as he got back up. "Shoot... Shulk is fighting a stinking dragon, Sharla and Riki are trying to keep Reyn alive, and this Orluga is... ARGH!"

I roared, morphing again. "DIE!" I lunged forward, my blade flashing. I leapt into the air as a shockwave concentrated as I swung, and I cut the Orluga in two as the shockwave was forced outwards. "Wow. Cool."

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Dunban, holding a hand to his gut. "Ugh..."

"You guys stay back! I'm gonna have to help Shulk with this dragon," I muttered, taking flight again. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

A big green dragon flew upwards, and I was struck, falling. "UGH!" I landed beside Shulk, who was on one knee. "Ow..."

"Hi..." spoke Shulk, breathless. "I don't... I don't see... Sharla's rifle anywhere..."

"Of course," I groaned, just hovering so I could have enhanced eyesight. "Guh!" I reverted to normal and fell to my knees as well. "That stupid dragon has the gun... oh no."

"What?" Shulk paused, and gave a sudden gasp. "NO! Sharla... your gun... the dragon snapped it in two!"

"WHAT?!" she exclaimed, looking over the cliff. "Oh, no..." she moaned. "This is not good... Reyn's wounds are barely closed, even with Melia's elementals regenerating our health and Riki's healing Art... if I try to move him, he'll bleed to death anyway..."

"Can't Riki use that Art several times?!" I shouted.

"He's already used it six times! There's a limit to how much an Art can be used in a row! So we have to hold out for ten minutes for the Art to refresh!"

"That's way too long!" I grunted.

"Riki use too much," he admitted. "Not good for Reyn."

"The dragon's coming back!" panted Shulk. "Darn it! Dunban, please cover everyone! Melia, cover Andrew and I!" He looked at me. "Ready?"

"Aw, hell no," I replied, growling. "Come on...!" My form flickered several times again, and I finally gave a loud gasp, falling against a cliff wall. "I can't..."

"What's wrong?" asked Shulk, holding the Monado in front of him.

"I... I feel... too weak," I coughed. "Ugh!" I coughed up blood with a groan. "Yay..."

"Then stay back!" shouted Shulk, leaping into the air with Jump still active. "Whoa!" He jumped again to dodge fire breath. "Hah!" He stabbed with the Monado, but he couldn't pierce the dragon's skin. "Darn it...!"

"Unh... Manifest yourself!" shouted Melia, and a condensed burst of water rushed outwards at the dragon, who flew out of the way.

I breathed out. "Ugh...!" I staggered forward with a grunt. "Huh...!" I saw Shulk land on the ground, wincing as he landed. "Are you okay?!" I shouted.

"Kind of," he replied. "My sleeve is singed from that fire breath. I liked this jacket, too... Fiora got it for me..."

"Shulk, look out!" yelled Dunban.

I grunted. The dragon dove for Shulk and I. "Great!" I used Defensive Reversal, but the dragon's claws penetrated my defences and I flew back to hit the cliff wall. "UGH!"

Shulk, meanwhile, was sent whirling through the air from the strike, blocking with the Monado. "Ugh...!"

"Oh no!" gasped Riki. "Dinobeast!"

"A Telethia, too?!" gasped Melia. "No! How can this be?!"

"This is a fine start," I muttered, feeling drained of energy. I supported myself with my sword, feeling power start to rush through me. "Huff... RAH!" I howled, my form changing once again as I slowed time as well.

I flew towards the dragon with a roar, using Whip Slash. A scale on the dragon cracked, and claws pierced through my body. "Guh!" I gasped, using my free left hand to force the claws away. "Ugh...!"

"Andrew!" yelled Shulk, who was on top of the cliff. "Jump is gonna wear off...!" he cursed, leaping through the air. "Battle Soul!" He landed on the dragon's back and screamed, using Slit Edge to stab with all his strength.

"The Telethia!" I groaned, keeping in the air. "It's...!" I reverted to normal, falling. "UGH!"

"Stay still!" demanded Melia, a wave of Ether rushing outwards to overwhelm the Dinobeast. "Now, everybody!"

Shulk grunted, leaping off the dragon. "I think I annoyed it!" he called, on top of the cliff as the Jump Art expired.

"I need to get a new rifle," muttered Sharla. "Riki's healing Art isn't enough to close the wound if and when we get away..."

"Where do you plan to get a rifle?" asked Dunban, who was sweating heavily, cutting the neck of the Telethia off using Blossom Dance. "That was almost easy," he noted afterwards.

"There were Nopon merchants back in Frontier Village," she responded. "Melia, is there a way to return-"

"WATCH OUT!" yelled Shulk.

"That stinking dragon...!" I growled. "I think it wants to cook Reyn for supper!"

"Summon... Bolt!" mused Melia. "Manifest yourself!" she called.

"It's not enough!" groaned Reyn. "Maybe... you guys should leave me-"

"Not happening," interrupted Sharla. "Reyn, you are not going to die!"

I groaned. "This has gone so well."

"Sarcasm no help!" declared Riki. "Hm... Freezinate!"

The dragon flew out of the Art's way.

Shulk gasped for air. "The Monado doesn't work against those scales well enough!" he grunted. "Huff..."

"Huff..." I felt a jolt and energy flooded me. "What...?"

"Happy Happy!" declared the Nopon. "Go, friends!"

"YAH!" screamed Shulk, the Monado's beam extending. "Andrew... give me a boost!" He dashed at me, and I raised my sword for him to jump off of.

"Ah...!" He paused for a moment in the air, and he swung at the dragon. "RAH!"

"MANIFEST!" shouted Melia, causing twin fireballs to descend from the sky to strike at the beast.

"Huff..." I groaned, as my form flickered. "Ugh... RAH!" My form returned to normal. "Huh...?"

"Andrew... you have to rest, regain strength!" called Dunban, who looked exhausted.

"So do you," I grunted. "I've got this..."

Shulk yelled, as a blue aura surrounded his shoes. "WHOA!" He landed quickly with a grunt. "Huff...!"

"Dunban..." I paused. _If Time Slow still kind of is like a Talent Art... and if my transformation is like Devil Trigger..._ "Block!"

"Hm?!" He met my several attacks. "Andrew, what are you doing?!"

"Regaining strength," I replied, moving away from him. I felt a smile come over my face. "HAH!" I leapt off the cliff, running. I changed form in the air and flew at the dragon, feeling a smile on my face.

"Andrew!" gasped Shulk, and I flew low to the ground to pick him up. "What...?"

"RAH!" I landed on the dragon's back as time began to slow down. I dropped Shulk and flew up again. Laughter came up from somewhere deep within. "Ha...!"

The dragon agreed at me, and opened its mouth to breathe fire at me.

"HA HA HA!" I laughed, howling with laughter. All of a sudden, all of this felt so easy.

I lunged, eyesight sharp, using Whip Slash to cut the dragon as Shulk impaled it with Buster.

"DIE!" I used Stab Strike to pierce an eye, twisting my blade. The dragon screamed with pain, and I smiled, a bigger smile now.

"RAH!" Shulk leapt over and stabbed out the other eye. "Andrew!"

"RAH!" I used my blade and slashed, roaring as I cut the head of the dragon off.

The whole body fell, and I grabbed Shulk, returning to everyone else as I reverted to normal.

"Phew," I breathed, sweating. A desire swept over me. I wanted to kill everything, everyone in front of me had to die, everything that existed ever had to die-

I blinked. _What was that?_ I thought. "Huh...?"

"Andrew..."

I saw that everyone was staring at me.

"Hi?" I waved a hand.

"That was amazing!" spoke Shulk. "You... cut the head off a dragon! How did you do that...?"

"Through the powers of plot convenience," I muttered under my breath. "Got lucky, I guess."

"Hm... impressive feat," mused Dunban. "Anyway... Sharla, you need a rifle?"

"That would be fantastic," she replied. "Then..." She paused to get bandages from her pocket. "I could heal him... but for now, I have to bandage him. We're exposed here."

"This is going to be a long day," I grunted.

Shulk finally placed the Monado on his back, the beam retracting. "Yeah." He wiped sweat from his face.

"Could we go back to Frontier Village to get a new rifle?" I asked.

"Perhaps," replied Melia. "I... am sorry. It is my fault Reyn is injured."

"It's fine, Melia," replied Shulk. "Not your fault a Telethia and a dragon happened to attack at the same time."

She paused. "But..."

"Shulk is right," spoke Riki. "It not Melly's fault Dinobeast attack, too!"

"Ah... thank you," she spoke.

Reyn groaned. "Ow..."

By now, Sharla had Reyn's shirt off as well, ruined forever by blood and a large cut.

Across his chest and whole torso were terrible cuts, with tiny amounts of green at the edges of the wounds.

"You Can Do It!" declared Riki, as mystical healing powers wore away at Reyn's wounds.

"His Driver... it's destroyed again," noticed Shulk. "How...?"

"When he bashed the Telethia..." realized Dunban.

"We need to go back to Frontier Village, now," declared Shulk. "Melia..."

She nodded. "Alright..." She led us back.

"Andrew," spoke Dunban, and I crouched down with a groan.

Dunban and Shulk placed Reyn over my back, and the two swordsman supported me.

A beast came at us as we moved backwards.

"To that teleporter, now!" shouted Dunban, and we hurried as fast as possible.

"Huff!" I panted, hearing Reyn's ragged breathing in my ear.

I was too slow. Those wolf beasts coming for us would get Reyn.

And I couldn't just stand back and let that happen.

"RAH!" I morphed, and I had a sudden desire to draw my blade and kill Reyn.

 _Must kill, have to kill, everything in front of me has to be killed, the whole world is full of sinners and must be killed and-_

 _NO._

I howled, moving forward as fast as I could. Melia led, and we touched a glowing blue orb.

With a grunt I released my form, and exhaustion swept over me.

Next to me were Sharla and Shulk.

"Oh?!" exclaimed Dunga, who was there. "What has happened, my Hom Hom friends?!"

"Chief Dunga," bowed Melia. "Please permit me to explain."

I slowly set Reyn down with a groan. "Huff..."

 _What is happening to me?!_

 **Thanks for reading!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 **Something about the second half of this chapter bothers me...**

"Andrew, stop!" shouted Shulk, as I used my blade to cut Sharla in two.

"RAH!" At the moment, all I was capable of was killing and roars, in my Soul Trigger state.

"Andrew, sorry, man!" yelled Reyn, rushing in. "Sword Drive!"

I used my left hand to block the blow. "HAH-RAH!" One strike and Reyn fell, head separated from the body.

"ANDREW! STOP!" screamed Shulk, activating the Monado. "Speed... and Buster!" The beam extended as a blue aura surrounded his shoes. "YAH!" We clashed. "Rrgh...! Andrew...!"

"Shulk, you have to stop!" yelled Dunban, drawing his blade. "CUT HIM DOWN! SERENE HEART!"

Shulk gasped, as his eyes pulsed blue for a moment. "No... DUNBAN, STOP!"

"MANIFEST YOURSELF!" demanded Melia, a large fireball rushing at me.

"RARGH!" Under Time Slow I tore out Dunban's heart with my left hand, tossing it into the fireball. Both cancelled each other out in an instant. "RRGH...!" I growled.

"Hm?!" Melia gave a sudden gasp as I stabbed her from the side, piercing both lungs at once. I then tore out my blade, which cut her gut apart.

"What?!" exclaimed Shulk. "UGH!" He staggered as I stabbed him, before I impaled his throat, pinning him to a wall.

"RAH!" I took my sword out and stabbed his face. Shulk's body fell, limp, to the ground.

Looking around at the carnage and destruction around me, I smiled.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Laughter flowed outwards from me, uncontrollable. It felt so good, too good, much too good to be real.

...

"Huh." I awoke. But it wasn't a nightmare. It felt too good to be a nightmare.

It felt like a dream.

I got up, placing my sword on my back through awesome straps.

We were all still in Frontier Village, Makna Forest all around.

The desire to kill was overwhelming.

I shook my head, groaning.

"The hell..." I muttered, rising and exiting the village of the Nopon. At the front was Shulk, who was working on a new Driver for Reyn.

"Andrew," he spoke.

"Shulk." He turned away, and I wanted to grab my sword and stab him with it. The rush of adrenaline would be...

I grunted, shaking my head. "Ugh..."

"Is everything alright?" asked Shulk, looking back at me.

"I think so," I replied. "Geez..."

I hadn't morphed since we returned to Frontier Village, but the urge to go on a murder frenzy was overpowering.

"Where is Dunban?" I heard myself say.

"He's practicing swordplay," replied Shulk.

"Alone?"

"I was practicing with him earlier. Even though he used the back of his blade, it still hurt."

I blinked. "Alright." I walked in the direction Shulk had pointed in, and Dunban slashed out at me.

I drew my sword and blocked the attack.

"Is this supposed to be another joke?" I asked.

"No. Nothing wakes you up then a bit of swordplay in the morning," replied the one armed swordsman.

He moved back and I stretched. "Fine." Our swords met briefly, and Dunban forced me back. I dodged his Gale Slash Art and he used Worldly Slash, which I evaded as well.

"Huh." I stabbed using Stab Strike, and Dunban used the hilt of his sword to block. _Crap!_ I pulled my sword back and Dunban swung, with me just blocking. "Huh..."

"Hah! Serene Heart!" declared Dunban, before he rushed forward. "Tempest Kick!"

I blocked with my sword, and he swung, with my usage of Defensive Reversal blocking.

"Good!" spoke Dunban, as he moved back. "You are doing much better."

"Sure," I replied. _Sure don't feel like it..._

"Hm." Dunban paused to look at me. "That is enough for now. You should probably go wash your face."

"Yeah..." I moved off. What was that? I wondered.

...

"No one's here," I noticed. "This lake... this was where Shulk, Alvis and I fought those douche Telethia. I think?" I paused.

Suddenly, it was irresistible. "RAWR!" My form changed with a howl, and everything turned black as a smile crept over my face.

...

"Ugh...!" I awoke, in a white room. "What...?" I got up, placing my sword on my back.

In the middle of the room was someone wearing a blue jacket, which looked like mine.

"Damn it," I muttered. "You! You're my dark version, right?! Or something?!"

"Hell no!" he replied, turning to look at me. "I'm your Soul. Not your dark self. Those are too cliche to use now."

I blinked. "Crap. I'm going to have to fight you now, aren't I..."

He smirked. "You will." He drew a sword, which looked like mine. "I am you, Andrew. The Soul you. I am manifested and you become me when you use the Soul Trigger state."

"I... become you?" I repeated, as we circled each other. "But... that's a messed up!"

"You're telling me." Soul me paused. "You've drawn my power for too long. I am going to kill you here, and when I do, I'll have control of your body and kill everything!" He lunged.

I grunted, as our blades met. "But why kill everything?!"

"Why not?" Soul me forced me back.

"That sounds like something Jake would say," I grunted.

"Ah, yes. Jake." Soul Andrew looked at me. "An Outsider. Someone who doesn't belong. Like you."

 _No, really?_ I thought. "Wait, wait, wait... I've been getting those urges to just kill everyone... because I'm using too much of your power?"

"Yeah, yeah." He moved forward again, and I used Defensive Reversal. "Obvious!" He targeted my back, cutting me.

"Ugh...!" I slid back as he kicked me. "Damn."

"Anyway... I've gotten impatient of waiting, otherwise those urges would just overwhelm your will entirely," spoke Soul Andrew. "So now I will kill you. But if you kill me, then..." He laughed. "I suppose you would unlock the entire potential of the Soul Trigger form for real."

I sighed. "Can't you just give your power to me or something?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Uh... so I can kill things next time I fight?"

"Not good enough, sorry." Soul Andrew and I clashed, with our swords meeting, fierce. "Hm..."

"RAH!" I shoved at him, and he staggered. "Hah!" I used Whip Slash, but my Soul version dodged with ease. "Shoot."

"Well... our abilities are equal," he admitted. "For now. Until... I do... this." He morphed into... himself, I guess. "RAH!"

Now, darkness swirled around him, as a dark aura drifted around his sword.

"Damnit!" I cursed, as he stabbed me. "Good... start..." I mumbled.

"Still sarcastic, I see." Soul me then slashed me away. "BUT THIS IS IT! PITIFUL EFFORT!"

I blinked. "Ugh!" I rose, coughing. "Huh...?" I ducked, and a slash landed over an eye. "Rrgh!"

"TOO SLOW!" Soul me stabbed me. "Embrace my blade... let me become you... it's useless to resist."

I grunted. "Yeah?" I used Time Slow, and he gasped as I stabbed him with Stab Strike. "You are not the boss of me." I shoved him back, and our swords met, several times.

"I'LL END YOU NOW!" he roared, using Whip Slash. I grunted, using the same Art, though he overpowered me. "RAH!"

 _If I can survive... the shifting of Ether awareness from Time Slow should weaken Soul me!_ I thought. "RAH!" I met his slash with my own.

Then he was behind me.

"No!" I gasped, as his blade sunk into me again. "Guh!"

"GIVE UP!" he yelled. "LET ME HAVE YOUR BODY! IT'S ONLY FAIR SINCE YOU"VE COPIED ME SO MUCH!"

"Stop yelling," I muttered, before I raised my sword and stabbed him in the face.

Soul me gasped, and I moved away from him, coughing up blood.

"Damn." Soul Andrew cursed. "So... you... can fight..." His form changed to normal.

"So I have your power?" I grunted.

"Yeah, sure. But if you ever just choose to give up... I will be there to control you."

Soul me faded away and I opened my eyes.

I was standing in the lake now.

And for the first time, my mind felt clear.

 _That was too easy and complicated,_ I thought, getting out of the water. _Geez... lots of exposition... and Soul me is a douche... and I bet he'll be back._

 _ **Thanks for reading...**_


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 **Yay... it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since this fanfiction began...**

 **And this ain't half done yet... enthusiasm...**

 **(Note: This chapter we get into Alcamoth. And I'm not so happy with this one near the end...)**

"Andrew!" greeted Shulk. "Huh..." He tilted his head. "You look and feel different."

"Do I?" I replied.

He nodded. "Less... how to put it... haunted, I suppose."

"Alright." I grunted watching as Reyn and Dunban's weapons clashed, sparks flying. "Practice?"

"Yeah. We have to get stronger to get to Prison Island... and to defeat that faced Mechon," declared Shulk. "So with that in mind..." He drew the Monado. "Ready?"

I drew my blade and blocked his slash. "I guess."

"Good!" He moved back. "Because I figured out that after a compressed Art wears off, it takes a while before I can use it again. So..." A blue aura came around his shoes and his whole body. "Hah!"

"Two Speed usages?!" I grunted, and he sped around, evading any attack I could've done. "Whoa!" I leapt away from his swing, just scratching an ankle. "Huh..." I activated Time Slow and our weapons met several times.

"You've sped up?!" he grunted, moving around. I held my sword over my shoulder and blocked his slash from behind. "Wha-"

"No." I turned and used Whip Slash, with him blocking as the impact throws him away. "You got slower."

"Makes sense!" Shulk's shoe aura faded away, and a green aura replaced it. "Come on!" He leapt up, as the beam extended, the aura around him fading away. "BUSTER!"

"Now you're way too slow," I commented, dodging the stab he thrust at me. "Huh!" Time went back to normal as he landed on the ground again. _This could be..._

A massive roar burst out from the nearby trees.

Shulk's face changed as the Monado's powers wore away. "What is that?!"

I turned. "Damn," I muttered. "It was a fairly calming day..."

"Mechon?!" exclaimed Dunban, sweat dripping down his face. "Damn! A dozen, at least!"

A smile came over my face. "Bring it!" I laughed, as they came forward, knocking over all the tress in their path.

"Not more Mechon!" grunted Reyn, and Sharla rushed out from Frontier Village.

"Everyone, we just have to fight them!" shouted Shulk. "They're coming right for Frontier Village, and we can't let that happen!"

 _Or we could,_ I thought. _But you won't because you're the main protagonist..._

"Huff... Battle Soul!" shouted the Monado's wielder, and Enchant came forth over all our weapons. "Let's go!"

"Riki go!" he declared, rushing forward. "Riki defend Frontier Village!"

"Yeah, furball!" declared Reyn. "Let's do it!"

I laughed. "Let's rock!" My form changed, and it looked like the air distorted around me. "RAWR!"

"Hey, Andrew," spoke Soul me. "Come on... it's just Mechon! What are you becoming me for?"

"To have some fun," I muttered, lunging forward. One swing and a Mechon fell, the explosions seeming to ride along my sword as I cut all the rest in two.

"Andrew. An Outsider..." I felt a sword pierce through my body. "You're too slow."

 _What...?_ "Rrgh!" I slashed at the foe, who was just gone. "Huh?!"

"Come on..." Someone in front of me used a blade, swiping at me. I felt a large cut in my shoulder.

"What's happening?!" gasped Shulk. "Why is Andrew getting hurt like that...?!"

"Come on," groaned my Soul self. "This is boring. This is an Outsider, I bet. Let me control you and it'll all be over."

"No," I muttered, sword held back in Defensive Reversal. The swordsman struck, shattering my blade with one stroke.

 _What?!_

"Too weak. Is that the extent of your Soul?"

There were five loud human sounds behind me.

I turned. Everyone was on the ground, bleeding quickly to death.

"See?"

"UGH!" I threw up blood as the sword pierced my gut, and I growled, slowing time.

"Heh..." The foe moved back as I tried to grab his sword. "A little faster, eh...? But not enough."

I panted. "Who are you...?"

"An Outsider, no duh," he smirked. "If I'm more serious... let's just call me Zulf."

I coughed. "Why are we referencing Bastion from Supergiant Games now...?"

"Because you're weak, and because I can." His form flickered as a devilish smile came over Zulf's face. "Hope you can keep up..." He grabbed something off one of his legs, placing his sword on his back again.

 _Nunchaku?!_ I thought, flying into the air to dodge a few swinging strikes. "Ugh...!"

"Eat this." Zulf's form changed completely, looking like Dante's Cerberus Devil Trigger state if the markings on his body were red instead of blue. "RAH!"

He slashed and used his nunchaku at the same time. My form turned back to normal, as did time, causing me to fall.

"Damn!" I groaned, hitting the ground. "Ugh... why are you doing this?" I managed.

"To have some fun." The tip of his blade cut my throat, the lightest of cuts, as his form reverted to normal as well. "I want to see you suffer before I kill you..."

 _Bastard,_ I thought. "Well... you've got me now."

"Hell yeah," he smiled. "And I have this." He slammed his nunchaku into the ground, causing flame to strike, forcing me into a tree.

"Ugh...!" I coughed. "Well... this is yet another situation that has escalated quickly, hasn't it..."

"And I haven't used my power to slow down time yet!" laughed Zulf. "All Outsiders can slow down time, and morph into their Soul self, a bond developed through excessive usage of the Time Slow. All because of Lord Zanza..."

"That douche?" I grunted. I gasped as his blade pierced my body again. "Ugh...!"

"But you're different. Outsiders have been coming into this world for ages, and all have fought for Lord Zanza," declared Zulf. "All got their power from him.

"But the instant his truly realized that you wouldn't be of help to him, he stopped giving you powers. So that Simon dude... I've killed him now."

"But... my stories..."

"Don't think you're so special. If we are even dreamt of, Outsiders can materialize. Usually in this world, but it can also be any world or universe they want."

"Ugh... RAH!" I morphed again. "Well..." I grasped his sword, which he pulled out. "Guh...!" I rolled to evade his slash, just. "I... will not... LOSE!"

"Ha..." He glanced at my sword. "Let's make this more interesting, then..." He picked up the two halves of my sword. "Come at me." Somehow, he mended it, tossing it back. "Believe you can beat me?"

"RAH!" I lunged, and slowed down time. He did as well, as he was still more quicker then I was. "Rrgh...!"

"Huh." I fell to my knees, sword broken again, everything rushing back to normal.

"Huff... huff..."

"Much too slow. Left hand is a constant weak spot... having right eye closed most of the time when in direct sunlight... you're full of holes, Andrew."

I grunted. "The hell...?"

He smirked. "Come on... this ain't even exciting. Dickson lied to me!"

I groaned, rising. "Dickson...?" I looked at him, as the blade flashed to cut me. "Ugh!" I staggered back from the injury.

"Make me regret leaving you alive," he spoke. "Because..." He cut across my chest. "Someone else is coming for you."

I collapsed, everything turning black as laughter filled the air.

...

"Hey, Andrew!" spoke Shulk. "Geez, you were out for a long time." A long bandage trailed along his left arm.

"Ow." I arose, from lying on the ground. "What happened?" I somehow got up from the bed.

"You were unconscious, and we were all bleeding out," he replied. "Then Melia came along, from the top of the tree. She got the Nopon's chief to help us out. It's been about two days."

I leaned against a wall. _That Zulf dude... someone is coming for me? What does that mean?_

"Andrew. Here." Shulk handed me something, long. "I saw that your sword was broken, so I made a new one, after buying one off of a Nopon merchant. It's all shiny now."

"Thanks," I replied, placing it on the straps on my back.

"Huh... you've got a ton of bandages," spoke Shulk. "You were more seriously hurt then any of us. That was bad."

"Yeah...?" I moved out. "Ugh." I paused at the harsh sunlight that greeted my eyes. "Damn... we were decimated this time."

"Yeah," admitted the Monado's wielder, moving outside. "But how do we get stronger?"

"Fighting, of course," I replied. "Where are Reyn and Dunban?"

"HAH!" I drew my sword, holding it over my shoulder, blocking the one armed swordsman's attack. "Nice instincts."

"It doesn't help you when you shout before you attack me, either." He leapt away. "And Reyn's behind that tree."

"How about 2 against 2?" suggested Dunban, as Reyn moved out from behind the tree. "Andrew and Shulk against Reyn and I."

Shulk nodded. "Alright. The Monado can't hurt Homs, anyway," he spoke, drawing it. "Who are you going for?" he muttered.

"Doesn't matter," I replied, stretching. I felt more bruised then ever, if that was possible. "Ow."

"Okay. I'll take on Dunban, and WHOA!" Shulk raised his sword against Dunban, who stabbed for him. "Wasn't ready!"

"You must always be ready on the battlefield, Shulk!" yelled Dunban, pressing the blonde. "RAH!"

I blinked, and my sword interrupted Reyn's bashing attack with his Driver. "Huh..."

"SWORD DRIVE!" roared the Homs in front of me, and I readied my sword in a reverse grip.

I nullified the Art with my defensive Art, and stabbed with Stab Strike. Reyn switched his Driver's mode, defending.

I swung several times, feeling the energy build up inside me as Reyn blocked. Finally, he pushed back as I slashed, and I staggered.

"GOT YOU!" shouted Reyn, as his Driver rushed forward to strike. "Bone Upper!"

Eww, I thought, using Time Slow. I rolled around him, and stabbed my sword forward, lightly cutting his cheek. I let time return to its normal flow, and he staggered forward, not hitting anything.

"Huh?" grunted Reyn, turning. "Aw, man... Andrew...!"

"Game over," I replied, turning. "Remember? We agreed back in Colony 9 that if we got injured in any way, you're out."

"Yeah, yeah" he grumbled, placing his Driver on his back.

Shulk was moving around Dunban, with two usages of Monado Speed active. "Can't keep up?" he spoke, easily dodging Dunban's attacks with ease.

 _It almost looks like he's using a really slow form of Tracer's Blink,_ I thought.

"SOARING TEMPEST!" roared Dunban, and landed after the Art. "Huff... huff..."

"That was fast," noted Shulk.

"Hah!" yelled the swordsman, in front of me.

"What a bore," I muttered, as he stabbed with Gale Slash. "That it?" I nullified the Art with a block.

Our swords met several times, and I rolled away as the older swordsman swiped with his blade.

"Serene Heart," spoke Dunban. "Alright... ready, Andrew?!" He moved forward with a wide slash, and I used Whip Slash to overpower him. "Geh!"

I used my left hand to grasp him by the throat and push him to the ground, lightly cutting the swordsman's cheek as I did so. "That's it."

He breathed out. "That was a quick maneuver," mused Dunban.

"Yeah, yeah." I arose, letting him arise. "Can we... just go on?"

"To Eryth Sea? I hope so..." muttered Shulk. "Last time... a Telethia and a dragon attacked us, remember?"

"No duh," I grunted.

"It should be safe," spoke Melia. "I... was once in a situation similar to that one, long ago."

 _A story you'd probably share with Fiora when she comes back!_ I thought.

"OK. Is everyone ready to go?"

They all nodded, and Melia led us back into the massive tree the Nopon used as a home.

...

"Dammit! Those wolves are still here!" I groaned, drawing my sword as one lunged at me. "Huh. There's seven of them."

"Perfect! Everyone, take a wolf each!" shouted Shulk, drawing the Monado. "Huh...? The Monado... isn't affecting it?"

 _Are these secretly Homs or something like... Keaton in Fates?!_ I thought, as the wolf I was fighting with had my sword in its mouth. "That's funny, pal." I changed my form, and tore out my sword. A simple slash and it fell, dead.

"ANDREW!"

"Oh, god, no," I sighed, as something massive came closer. "Why is Eryth Sea so infested with massive monsters?!"

"Something changed," mused Melia, as the wolf before her fell, dead. "Is this an omen...?"

There was something that looked like a demon. It howled and lunged at me.

I flew up to the demon, and slashed once. It fell, dead.

"That was far easier," breathed Dunban, withdrawing his sword.

"You mean, there weren't as much stuff," replied Sharla, adjusting her rifle with a look of disdain.

Shulk breathed out. "Anyway... Melia, before anything left attacks us, can you help us get through Eryth Sea?"

"Of course," she replied, placing her staff... on her hip? There are straps there too?

I placed my sword on my back. "Then let's go," I growled.

...

"Now, we take this transporter here," spoke Melia, turning to all of us.

"Where's it gonna take us?" wondered Reyn.

 _Definitely not to a place where we will be forced to be held captive,_ I thought.

"Step on it and you will see," replied the female Ether magic user, stepping onto the teleport. Then she was gone.

"Whoa!" gasped Reyn.

"That's interesting technology," mused Shulk. "If I could figure out how it works and compress it into a smaller form, we could go all the way from here to Colony 9 in... however much time it would take for this teleport to take us that far."

"Hm... well, let's go ahead," spoke Dunban, stepping after Melia. He too, disappeared.

Reyn muttered as he and everyone else stepped forward.

I let out a sigh and followed.

We all stepped forward and four High Entians appeared from another teleporter. They all moved forward.

"Who are these guys?" asked Reyn aloud.

"Are those wings on their head?" murmured Shulk, quiet. "They... must be High Entia!"

All of the soldiers bowed. "Welcome home, Lady Melia," one spoke.

"Lady?!" repeated Dunban.

 _Does this lower your chance of... let's say showing her... uh... your sword?_ I thought. _DAMN LEMON FANFICTION HAS CHANGED ME! CURSE YOU, FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING!_

Shulk looked thoughtful, from thinking about the teleporter. "Huh?" he spoke.

Melia nodded, before she stepped forward. "Thank you, captain," she told him. "These Homs and this Nopon are my guests."

 _What does that make me?_ I wondered.

She continued. "See them safely to the guest quarters. Give them anything they need."

"As you wish, my Lady," spoke Captain Wing. Yeah, let's go with that.

"What's going on?" asked Reyn.

"Melia is-" I stopped. _SPOILERS, DAMN IT! WHY?!_

Shulk turned towards me. "What is Melia, Andrew?" he asked.

"You'll find out," I replied, with a slight groan. _But first..._

"Well... for one, I have no idea," interrupted Sharla.

"Melia..." He turned towards her. "Are you...?"

His eyes flashed blue and they turned back. "Melia."

"I cannot speak now," she responded, closing her eyes. "But... I will fulfill my promise."

"I understand," replied Shulk.

"Do you?" I asked out loud.

"Not really," he admitted. "But... we all trust one another, so that's enough."

 _That's funny,_ I thought, half smiling.

"I will arrange an audience with the Emperor," spoke Melia, turning towards us. "Will you wait?"

"Of course," replied Shulk. "We won't move an inch."

"My thanks." The princess bowed. She then walked into the teleporter and was gone.

All the guards followed.

"'Lady Melia,' he says," mused Dunban.

Shulk scratched his head and Dunban turned towards him.

"Shulk, you thinking the same as me?"

"Whatever her position is... Melia won't let us down," replied Shulk firmly.

"I'm sure you're right," responded Dunban.

Sharla suddenly gasped out as five guards came from the teleporter.

I found my sword drawn just in time to deflect a slash. "Hi," I spoke.

"More of these guys?" grunted Reyn, one hand on his Driver.

"Come with us," spoke one soldier, who hadn't drawn his weapon. "We do not wish to harm you."

"Andrew, let it go," spoke Dunban, as the soldier in front of me drew his sword back.

"I don't want to," I muttered as the sword in front of me stabbed. I nullified the impact with a simple block.

"Andrew, this could ruin Melia's reputation," whispered Shulk, as he leaned in close. "I'll buy you some root beer later."

I sighed, withdrawing my sword. "You know how to bribe me already."

...

The five soldiers escorted the seven of us, to a place an hour later.

"Idiot birdbrains!" muttered Reyn, as the soldiers left us. "A fancy prison is still a prison."

"What happened to Melia?" wondered Sharla. "I don't see her locked up here with us."

"Exactly!" replied Reyn. "She is in on this!"

"Shulk... any thoughts?" asked Dunban.

Shulk was in his thoughtful pose. "Melia... won't let us down.

"She promised to bring us to Prison Island, after all.

"And... she's not the kind of person to break a promise."

"Even though we met a week ago?" I asked. "People can behave in nasty ways, Shulk. Maybe she hasn't shown us her true colours yet."

"I know what her colours are," responded the blonde. "And I know... she's not going to betray us."

"OK, Shulk," sighed Reyn, sitting down. "You win.

"I believe you. And if you believe Melia... no arguments from me."

With that, we all settled somewhere in the room, relaxing. Riki flopped on the ground and began to snore gently, while the Homs all sat at the table and rested.

I grunted. "So... about that root beer..."

A smile came over Shulk's face. "You're always so simple, Andrew." He walked over to a vending machine. "Here you go." He dropped some gold inside and picked up a root beer, passing it to me.

I opened the bottle and drank the liquid inside. Tasted like A&W, which was the best pop ever.

...

A few hours passed, giving all of us plenty of time to sleep and relax and generally be lazy.

Until two High Entian soldiers appeared.

"You are to be interrogated by the divine seer. Stand back," spoke one of the two, before moving back.

Alvis walked forward, a sly smile on his face.

"Alvis?!" exclaimed Shulk. "What...? What are you doing here?!"

He smirked. "I see... so that is why you're here."

"What?" responded Reyn.

Shulk stepped forward. "Is Melia OK?!" he asked, urgent. "We didn't mean to cause her any trouble."

"Rest assure, she is fine," responded Alvis. "The reason why you have been detained is not because you are outsiders.

"It is because you have the Monado with you."

Shulk stepped back. "What...?"

"You see, the Monado and the High Entia go back many years," he spoke. "Millennia, in fact."

A slight gasp emerged from Shulk's throat.

"Leave everything to me," responded Alvis, before he move away from the seven of us.

"I shall see to it that you are not held for long.

"We cannot have the saviours of Our Highness be treated as criminals now, can we?"

He paused by one of the guards. "Free these people," he spoke.

"I shall take responsibility for their actions whilst inside the capital. They are now guests of the imperial family."

"Sir!" responded a High Entian.

"I am required to report to his Majesty," spoke Alvis, looking at us. "Otherwise I would escort you around the capital.

"Use this room at your leisure.

"You are free to roam the city or rest. Farewell."

"Hold on, Alvis!" exclaimed Shulk, moving forward. "I need to ask you-"

"Be patient," replied Alvis.

 _Get rekt,_ I thought.

"I know what you wish to ask. You will learn in time, so be patient."

With that he was gone, the two guards following.

"So..." Shulk turned towards all of us. "Wanna explore?"

"Nah," I replied. "I'd rather stay here. Rest. Hopefully rest enough so I don't feel so bruised."

"You wish," replied Shulk. "But if you want, you can stay."

"The life of the rich!" commented Reyn. "So where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here," replied Sharla instantly. "I'm bored of this stuffy room."

"Riki find Melly for Shulk!" declared the Nopon, before he started to waddle off.

"Riki, wait!" called Shulk, reaching out to the Heropon.

"Your Eminence!" spoke a guard.

"What guard want?" spoke Riki, pausing.

"If you're after Alvis, he's gone," spoke Dunban.

"WHAT?!" yelled the guard. "Where... WHERE IS HE?!"

"Stop shouting!" I replied. "It hurts my ears."

All the party members stepped forward.

"What happened?" asked Shulk.

"We received an SOS for a small squadron repairing a transporter at Eryth Sea," spoke the guard. "But the communication was interrupted.

"And now, all contact has been lost."

 _Oh no, a crisis,_ I thought. _If only there were just heroes willing to help you..._

"Sounds like they need our help!" declared Reyn.

Shulk nodded.

"Riki and Shulk go help! Riki and friends help people in trouble!" declared the Nopon.

"Of course," replied Shulk. "We'll be happy to help out."

"But you're outsiders..." replied a guard.

 _And I'm one of those, in a super literal sense!_ I thought.

"Soldier man not worry!" spoke Riki, flying on his arm things. "Heropon Riki here to save the day!"

"It is most appreciated," replied the High Entian. "We need all the help we can get."

With that the two guards left and everyone go ready to go.

"Gonna come now, Andrew?" asked Shulk.

"Nah," I replied. "I'm comfortable here."

"Hm... perhaps I ought to stay here with you..." mused Dunban.

"It should be fine," I replied. I yawned. "Yeah..."

"No. I don't like the idea of any of us alone," spoke Dunban. "Everyone, I'll be staying here with Andrew."

"Sounds good," replied Shulk. "We'll be back in a few hours, alright?"

"Yeah," I muttered, as the four of them left.

"So... why not go?" spoke Dunban. "There'll be much to do that will require the art of the sword."

"Yeah," I replied. "But it's relaxing here, and there'll be more things happening in the afternoon."

Dunban looked at me. "All of these days are usually quite busy," he spoke.

"Yeah," I replied, sitting as Dunban looked outside the large room.

All of a sudden, there were loud sounds from outside.

"Hm... there's Melia!" noticed Dunban. "What is happening here? I can't hear what's happening..."

I yawned, standing. I stretched with a grunt. Dunban was silent as he watched what happened in Alcamoth.

"Done yet?" I asked, as he tore himself away from the window.

"I suppose so," he responded. "Something... important happened, I suspect."

"Hey, guys!" spoke Shulk, bursting through the door. "Huff... that wasn't too hard."

"Yeah, it was pretty easy!" declared Reyn.

"All thanks to Heropon Riki!" spoke the Nopon.

"Nuh-uh, furball!" replied Reyn. "You didn't even do a whole lot!"

"Reyn wrong! He the one who no do much!"

"Listen, you...!"

"Guys, please." Sharla breathed out as she entered the room. "Why don't we take a bit of a break?"

Instantly, swords pierced through every single Homs and Nopon in the room. They all fell down.

"The hell?" I stood, grabbing my sword. "Damn it," I muttered.

"Hello, Andrew." The person in front of all the other six people removed her mask. "I am an Outsider, like you."

"Did you do some magic or something and replace those damn guards who are supposed to attack us later?" I wondered.

"If you wish to put it that way." She lunged forward, swinging. I blocked her attack. "Can you take on six Soul users and time manipulating humans?" She smirked. "By the way... I am Celistia. I will kill you."

"Ha!" I felt a laugh come up. "Bring it!"

I rolled as six swords stabbed through the air, all of them scratching me. "Phew..." I breathed out and slowed time. As two of them rushed forward I felt a smile come over my face. I used Whip Slash and cut both their throats at once.

"NO!" screamed another, and three more lunged forward. I waited with Defensive Reversal, and I countered, making all of them stagger.

"This is a real bore!" I spoke, slashing. All of them transformed into demonic states, and met my slash. I slid away. "Come on..." I morphed and slashed, cutting their bodies and swords all in half.

"If that's all you've got..." Everything sped back to normal in my perception. "Then there's no way you'll beat me."

Celistia smiled. "Is that what you think?"

"Yes." I swung and our swords met. I grunted.

"Foolish boy." She cut my shoulder as she forced me back. "I will end you." From her grasp a second sword materialized.

"That ain't fair," I muttered. "But fine. Whatever." I slashed, and she cut me while blocking my attack.

"RAH!" I slowed time again, but so did she. She constantly cut me mercilessly, even if they were light.

I can't defend against her! I thought, moving back. "Hah!" I used Aura Wave to send shockwaves she evaded. "Go figure."

She moved forward. "This is boring! Zulf said you had potential to match him one day!"

"That's cool, dog." I rolled from her stab. "Ow." I paused, morphing before lunging. "HAH!"

The blade in her right grasp broke from my slash, and she stabbed me, her own form changing to something similar to mine.

I gasped, feeling myself tremble. _What...? Am I... fearing her?!_

"RAH!" She kicked me backwards. "Well?! Where's your fighting spirit?!" She lunged, cutting me as I moved back.

"Huff..." I slashed, and she stabbed my body, making me flinch. She then cut me, forcing me back.

 _This is hopeless,_ I thought. _I can't win. I-_

"LET ME TAKE CONTORL!"

"RAWRGH!"

"Do I have the option to say no?" I asked.

Soul Andrew smirked. "Watch. I'll end her."

I watched as he began to fight.

Too bad that one of the party members was going to die while I fought this person.

 **Thanks for reading...**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 **Short chapter... but I'm starting to get back into this piece again... so that's good.**

"RAH!"

A slash and the Outsider in front of me staggered back from the impact.

 _How is my own Soul stronger then me by this much?_ I wondered.

Celistia let out a guttural scream as she lunged forward at me, and my Soul stabbed her in the face. "Ah..."

Her body split apart and fell to the ground as Soul me cut her in two, Mortal Kombat style.

Soul me released his control over my body and I moved slightly, looking over myself.

"That's gruesome," I muttered, seeing all the blood on my own body. I reverted to normal.

"You're one to talk," grunted my Soul. "Come on... you're a cold murderer, and everything here has gone to hell." He paused. "By the way... DODGE!"

 _DO NOT REFERENCE ABRIDGED DRAGON BALL!_ I thought instantly, and I moved away.

The two halves of her body put themselves back together again, and her hunched over figure stood up straight.

"Oh, come on," I groaned, raising my sword. "How the hell is she still alive after that?!"

"Us Souls are capable of taking fatal damage for our commanders," muttered my Soul. "Afterwards, all that damage is undone, but transforming for the next ten minutes is impossible. Also... she will be extremely exhausted."

"How come information like this only comes out when the plot seems to demand it or something?" I asked. "WHOA!" I moved away from Celistia's twin swords. "Screw you!" I yelled, blocking one slash and just dodging another.

"I... must... end you... for... Lord... Zanza..." she moaned, on her knees now.

"Hey, I'm an atheist, so... this god stuff doesn't really fly with me," I replied. "Sorry. The kind thing to-"

"Ha ha ha!" There was laughter behind me. "My, how interesting this is!"

I turned. "You! Uh..." I paused. "Wait... give me a second..." There was a brief moment while everyone waited. "Nope. Can't remember. What's your name?"

"Lorithia," she smirked. "Hm...?" She moved away from Sharla's shot. "My, my! Bit impatient, are we?"

Sharla gasped for air, clutching her side. "Ah..." She aimed her rifle up, and launched a massive blast of Ether that rained down. "Guys... come on..."

Shulk groaned. "Ow... huh...?" He slowly got up. "The heck is...?"

"Hm... well, all of you are weak," noted Lorithia. "I shall leave... and tell him that you are no threat." She turned to Celistia. "Dear, if you would please."

"Huh?" I turned, slow as the Outsider let out a smile.

"I will have vengeance... by killing them."

Shulk let out a loud gasp. "NO! Reyn, Riki, get...!"

"Huh?" replied Reyn, looking at his friend.

I leapt forward, sword flashing.

Celistia let out a scream, tossing her swords. I grunted as two entered two other party members, and there was a flashing light.

...

"REYN!"

"RIKI!"

The blinding light was leaving, and I opened my eyes.

The Homs and the Nopon were on the ground, bleeding out too quickly from the new wounds they were suffering from.

"That girl... she has these blades..." gasped Sharla, beside the two. "The wounds... so severe..." She shot another round up in the air, several times. "Ugh..." She began to cool her gun.

"Will they be alright?" asked Dunban, a little distance away.

"No," she replied. "At the very least... I may be able to save one of them if I focus on their wounds.

"But the other one will die."

"What?" repeated Shulk. "Sharla... you have to be kidding. We... that can't be!"

"It's the reality, Shulk," she spoke. "There's no way I can save both of them. There's just not enough... time!" Tears began to pool in her eyes.

I let out a groan. Strangely, all of the bodies of the Outsiders had faded away.

"I don't know..." Shulk lay on the ground, hands over his eyes. "Reyn... he's my best mate, but... Riki has a family waiting for him... unlike most of us." He glanced at me for a brief moment. "I..."

"Hey..." mumbled Reyn. "Save... save the furball... will ya...?"

"Reyn..." Dunban looked at him. "But then..."

"Shulk..." The Homs looked at the blonde. "You... you have... you have to... get vengeance... for Fiora... OK?" He coughed up blood.

"I... I..." He stood, looking over his friend. "But I..."

"No 'but's', Shulk," he managed. "Riki... he's... he's got a family... ya know...? I... don't... so... go on... save him, Sharla..."

She wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry, Reyn," she told him, aiming her rifle at the Nopon. As she shot more concentrated rounds into the Nopon he shifted slightly, looking more comfortable.

"Don't... worry... about it..." He looked at Shulk, intensive. "Shulk... come on... man... don't look so sad..."

Shulk shook as tears flowed down his face. "I...! I don't... I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE, REYN!" he screamed.

"We... don't always get what we want," spoke Dunban, a hand over his eyes to try and futilely cover the tears I knew were starting to flow from his face. "I'm sorry, Reyn."

"It's... alright..." He groaned. "I... can see... Fiora again... I'll... tell her... about everything... alright... Shulk...?"

"Yeah!" He cried, falling to his knees. "Yeah! Go do that, Reyn!

"And... I promise I will bring down that faced Mechon and avenge everyone!"

"That's... it... thanks... Shulk..." He shook and then stopped moving.

Reyn was dead.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The loudest ear-piercing scream erupted from Shulk as tears flowed down everyone's faces except for mine.

 _Mercy... you were wrong,_ I thought, walking away from the scene as more cries, screeches and screams followed.

 _Heroes do die._

 **Thanks for reading!**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"NO! NO! AAAH!"

I turned at the loudest scream yet. "Be a bit more quiet," I growled, as as the Monado's beam burst outwards.

But now it was a distinct white colour, with slight bits of red mixed in.

"AAAH!" Shulk stabbed Reyn's body with the Monado.

"Shulk!" gasped Sharla. "What are you doing?!"

"SHULK!" Dunban rushed forward and forced the Monado's wielder away. "Stop! That is not doing anything useful!"

There was a faint glow from Reyn's body, the same colour as the beam of the Monado.

"Wait... that Ether... it's...!" Sharla stared at Reyn. "Shulk..."

His eyes were without their pupils, like after Zanza left his body. "AAAAAAAAAAAH!" He overpowered Dunban and repeatedly stabbed his friend's body.

"Shulk..." I grabbed my sword. I had a feeling that something even crazier was about to happen. "Reyn is dea-"

"RAH!" screeched Shulk, and lunged at me with astonishing speed. I blocked his slash. "He... IS NOT DEAD!"

"The proof's on the ground," I responded. "Accept reality, Shulk. At any time, any of us could die, just like that."

His pupils came back, a bright blue colour. "Huff..." He staggered back, fell over. "Huff..." He glanced at Reyn's corpse, and cried. Finally, he fell on his back and was out like a light.

"Reyn..." Dunban sighed. He covered his face in one hand. "He..."

"Wait... I can..." Sharla moved forward, and put her head to his chest. "A... fleeting heartbeat...?!" She gasped.

 _He's alive?!_ I thought. "The hell?" I asked. "How?"

The sniper didn't answer, instead doing some CPR. I looked away.

Sharla gasped for oxygen. "He... he's... dead..." A miserable look came over her face. "I..." She trembled. "I couldn't save him..."

I grunted. "Huh."

The Nopon was still unconscious.

"Where are you going, Andrew?"

I stopped at Dunban's words. "I'm going to explore. I'll be back."

The swordsman sighed as I stepped through the teleporter.

"Hm...? Ah... one of the Homs that came with... that 'Lady' Melia."

I blinked. "High Entia...?" I murmured. "Never mind." I moved back to the teleporter. "Huh." I leapt as all five lunged.

"Andrew!" Dunban paused, hand on his sword. "Well... room service was delayed a bit, eh?"

"Stop with the stupid jokes!" I growled. Riki, Reyn and Shulk were still knocked out on the ground, and Sharla stood with a gasp.

"So, you think you can fight us, the First Consort of King Sorean and Prince Kallian?

"Does it sound like I care?" I muttered. "Time for some fun!" I glanced at the one-armed swordsman as he looked at me. "What?"

"Nothing. Let's begin!" He moved forward. "Sharla! Stay back and cover Andrew and I!"

I moved froward and shifted my form with a roar. A smile crept over my face as I utilized Whip Slash, Dunban using Tempest Kick.

Just like that, all of the foes were already dead.

"That was really easy," I mused, reverting to normal.

Dunban looked thoughtful. "Hm..."

"Ah." Alvis moved in, and knelt. "These... are Inquisitors?" There was disbelief in his voice.

"Unh...?" Shulk opened his eyes. "Wha...?" He sat up.

"Shulk," spoke Dunban. "Are you alright?"

"What is this?"

 _That guy,_ I thought. _Melia's brother and that one guy who's going to get killed... and Lorithia is going to kiss him, dammit!_

He stepped forward with his guards.

"This is His Highness, Kallian," spoke Alvis. "Brother to Her Highness, Melia."

 _Man, it sure is strange to be living in a country where everyone is essentially equals and come into a world with the old monarchy,_ I thought. _It's like Louis XIV and Louis XVI... then BAM! Napoleon and all that stuff..._

Shulk gasped, rising up quickly. "Whoa... uh... Melia's brother?" he repeated, disbelief in his face.

"Do not concern yourself, Your Highness," spoke Alvis, turning towards Kallian. "The matter seems to have been resolved."

"Seer Alvis," acknowledged Kallian.

"I foresaw the danger," he announced.

 _That we were going to reduce the population in Alcamoth by five? Very dangerous..._

"I rushed here but seemed to have missed the fun."

 _Ha! You think the way I do!_ I thought.

"They do not look like mere thieves," mused Kallian. "But..."

"Personally... I am assuming they are Inquisitors of the Bionite Order," responded Alvis.

"A group of assassins devoted to the royal family."

 _Yes, yes, plot, blah blah blah, we go into the tomb and save Melia,_ I thought. _Why do I sit through cutscenes every time?_

"Ridiculous," spat Kallian. "The Bionite Order is a mere-"

"Myth," finished Alvis. "The order has existed long before records began. And I, like many others, had assumed they had died out.

"Yet here they are before us."

"Is Father aware of this?!" demanded the prince.

"I suspect he knows very little," answered Alvis. "He may not even be aware of their existence. They live amongst the shadows."

I rolled my eyes as Alvis and Kallian continued to talk to each other.

"NO!" Kallian gave a loud sudden gasp. "There is no way!"

"Kallian!" interrupted Shulk. "Melia... she is in grave danger! She'll be killed at an altar if we find her soon!"

"Killed?!" repeated Kallian. "How can you be so sure?!"

"Shulk and I share the same gift," spoke Alvis.

"Another seer?! Which means that... you can see the future?"

"Only when it's in front of his face, though," I spoke.

Kallian looked at me. "What...?"

"Never mind that!" spoke Shulk. "We have to find her! Now!"

...

"Unacceptable."

I blinked, as the prince spoke once again.

"Those who enter the Tomb must do so alone," he continued.

Kallian turned away from us. "Her life... or death... are in the hands of fate."

 _Screw that, because Shulk's the main protagonist!_

"Those who are not worthy of the throne are exactly that!"

Dunban gave a very quiet sigh. "This ritual holds a special significance," he spoke aloud. "It would be wrong of us to interfere."

Shulk gasped. "Dunban!"

"But am I right in saying that the rules of this ritual affect only the High Entia?

"And if some... strange Homs get involved, that wouldn't cause a problem?" He paused. "Or is there some rule prohibiting Homs from entering the Tomb?"

Kallian sighed. "No... I suppose not," he admitted.

"Then look at it this way," continued Dunban. "I don't need to know how big of a deal this ritual is to your people.

"What I do know is that your sister's life is at stake. Cut us a break, and we'll save her."

Kallian moved closer to inspect the Homs. "Who are you?"

"My name is Dunban," he replied. "I'm... sort of the protector of this Mechon-bashing band of Homs. Although there are those here who are a bit more special then I am," he spoke.

"Dunban... I know you," spoke Kallian. "At the Battle of Sword Valley, you held back an entire wave of Mechon with the Monado."

I groaned. "Can I leave now?" I asked.

"And who might you be?" asked Kallian.

"Andrew," I replied. "A little bit different from the rest of these guys."

"You... hm..." Kallian looked thoughtful.

"Then it is decided, hm?"

We all turned to look at Alvis. "You can reach the Tomb by transporter at the Centre Gate."

He turned to Shulk. "Her Highness has already entered the Tomb. Shulk, you should hurry."

"Wait. Before that... I have to do something." Shulk turned to the body of his dead friend. "I have to bury Reyn."

Surprise crashed through Alvis' calm face for a second, before it was calm like it had always been. "Ah."

Kallian wordlessly left the room.

"But time is of the essence," spoke Alvis. "If you wish to save Melia, there is no time."

"Ah..." Emotions passed through Shulk's face. "I..."

"If I shoot enough Ether into his body..." Sharla sighed. "I'm capable of changing his body into Ether that will flow through the air."

"Can you do that, then, Sharla? Please. Thank you," spoke Shulk.

She aimed her rifle. "It'll take quite a while," she spoke. "So you guys go. I'll stay here with Riki, too."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan," declared Dunban. "Come on, you two. We must save Melia."

"I will also accompany you," spoke Alvis.

Shulk gave a deep sigh, as he tore his gaze from Reyn. "Yeah." He ran off, into the transporter, and Alvis followed him.

I followed Dunban into the teleporter and we were gone.

 **Thanks for reading.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

 **Note: The Soul Trigger also increases pain tolerance.**

We moved from the teleporter and were in front of the Tomb. Shulk and Alvis had just finished a very long conversation about the Monado.

"Let's go, guys!" spoke Shulk, moving through the door. "We have to save Melia!"

Dunban, Alvis and I followed.

"Wow..." breathed Shulk. "The design of this place... incredible..."

"Hey, there's a big button," I pointed out. "Probably shouldn't press it."

Shulk hesitated. "Reyn would've pressed this button," he spoke, reaching out to it.

"So you want to push it in memory?" I asked, tilting my head sideways.

"Well... that is true," admitted Shulk. Then he pushed it.

I used my Soul Trigger and began to fly, while the three others fell as a large hole opened up.

"Huh..." I used Whip Slash and cut apart the door in front of me. "See you guys later!" I called. "I'm gonna go ahead! You guys will catch up, right?!"

"Guess so," groaned Shulk. "Wait!" He used Jump and leapt out of the large hole, trying to grab at the ledge. "Ugh!" He fell, landing. "Darn. Fine, go ahead, Andrew! Dunban, Alvis and I will get there!"

"Yeah..." I flew through the air, landing on a platform and reverting to normal. "Phew. This is the path Melia takes in-game," I muttered. "So..." I waited for a brief moment.

From the ceiling a few robotic spheres dropped down, firing lasers.

"Time for some fun," I smiled, as I slowed time.

...

There were loud shouts and screeches beyond the last door, after I had fought several foes on three separate platforms.

"A FILTHY HOMS HALF-BREED HAS NO RIGHT TO THE THRONE!" screamed a voice, before another scream followed.

"Hah!" I used Whip Slash and the door cracked. I slashed again and it fell apart. "Huh? WHOA!" I lunged for the ground as the Telethia screamed for me, heavily scratching me with its claw. "Ow!"

"Andrew?!" exclaimed Melia. "What are you doing here?!"

"Dying very slowly, because I'm not getting any younger," I muttered. "Here to help you." I spoke, louder.

"Help "Her Highness"? laughed the masked High Entian, Tyrea. "I cannot allow that!"

"Like I care!" I replied. "Melia," I spoke, quieting my voice. "You get that Telethia. I'm going to fight her."

Melia grimaced, and I noticed many claw marks covering her body and her clothing. "You cannot. She is too strong for you to fight alone," she replied.

"Wanna bet?" I moved forward, and my blade met the two small blades in the High Entian's grip. "Whoa!" I leapt back as she attacked again. "Time for some fun!"

"And you, a Homs, dare to interfere?!" demanded Tyrea as she rushed in, cutting me several times.

I staggered back as she lunged for my neck, cutting it. Warm blood oozed down my neck and stained my red jacket. Bummer.

"ANDREW!" I heard Melia call out.

"Alright, fine," I muttered. "Time to get serious." I slowed time and used my free left hand to grasp her by the throat, also disarming her at the same time.

Tyrea gasped as I slammed her against a wall. "You dare to touch m-"

"Just so you know, I'm not a Homs," I spoke, before using Stab Strike on her. I then slammed her against the wall again, and she was still, dazed from the brute force.

"AH!"

I turned my head at Melia's scream. The Telethia was literally sitting atop of her.

I grunted as Tyrea forced me backwards. I felt time reverse back to normal.

"Huff..." panted Melia, her mask rusting by the Ether aura the Telethia was giving off.

"Damn it!" I cursed, launching shockwaves. The Telethia took to the air again, dodging the Art. "UGH!" I coughed up blood as Tyrea stabbed me in the back with her dual knives.

"Ah... manifest yourself!" shouted Melia, and a bolt of lightning caused Tyrea to go flying into a wall. "Huff..." She tore her mask off and gasped for air openly. "Huff..."

"Can I kill her?" I asked with a wiping of my mouth. "Ugh..."

"There is no other option if we wish to live," replied the princess.

"MELIA! ANDREW!" Shulk rushed in, using the active and passive Monado Speed Arts at the same time.

"Shulk, you big hero," I smiled. "Get that Telethia! This one's mine."

Shulk activated the Monado's beam. "OK! Melia, let's go!" he shouted. "Huff... Battle Soul! Light Heal!"

"Do you really think someone like you is capable of defeating me?" asked Tyrea.

"Yes," I replied, morphing again. "RAH!" I used Whip Slash, shattering one of her knives as she tried to block. "SEE?!"

"Ugh!" she gasped, and I cut across her throat with a devilish smile going over my face.

Her body fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"I never get tired of killing," I smirked, before turning back to the beast. I flew up as Shulk and Melia came flying back. "Whoa..." I grunted, blocking its claws as they flashed at me. "Ugh?!"

"Ow!" winced Shulk as he got back up. "Ugh..." He was heavily bleeding. "Huff..."

"Where's Dunban and Alvis?" I asked him, floating just above the ground. "Shoot!" I reverted to normal and fell, landing on my feet. "Huh."

"I used Speed as soon as you left," he panted. "They're really back there. I think we're on our own for this one."

"Not to worry," spoke Melia. "Without that troublesome High Entian, we should be able to defeat this beast with ease. Summon Ice!" she declared.

"I don't think so," I muttered, and the Telethia sat on Shulk. _Fast...?!_

"ARGH!" yelled the Monado's wielder. "Ugh... Purge!" The green Hyper Beam attack struck the Telethia, forcing it away. "Huff..." He arose, shaking. "I'm fine! Guys, we should get it now, while Purge is negating its ability to read our minds!"

"Okay," I responded, leaping in. "WHOA!" I blocked the beast's claws with a grunt. "Melia!" I managed, straining against the Telethia.

"Manifest yourself!" All in one attack, a massive thunderbolt, fireball and icicle pierced the beast and pinned it to the ground. "Huff..." Sweat dripped down her clothes and face. "Huff..."

"Melia... that was amazing!" exclaimed Shulk, running up close to attack with Slit Edge. "UGH!" He went flying as the Telethia whipped him with its tail. "Ow!"

"Shul-"

"Watch the hell out!" I hissed, tackling the princess to make it so she wasn't impaled by the spikes on the beast's tail. "Oh, fudge-doodles," I muttered, rising to my feet again. "Shulk! You okay?!"

He panted, leaning heavily against a wall as he slowly got back to his feet. "Y...yeah," he managed. His eyes were blue for a swift moment that passed much too quickly. "ANDREW!"

"What?" I heard the loud sound of something massive falling. "Oh, g-" I felt several things inside me crack as the Telethia sat on me. "Damn... THIS STUPID BIRD!" I roared, struggling to rise.

The Telethia screeched and shifted, forcing my sword arm to the ground as well as forcing it to slide along the ground.

"Ah! Summon... huff..." Melia's elemental faded out as she was forced to lean against a wall to keep herself on her feet. "Huff..."

"A...Andrew..." Shulk fell over, and the Monado slid along the floor. "G... GRAB THE MONADO!" he screamed.

I could just barely grasp the blade with my left hand, and as soon as my fingers curled around the blade the beam burst outwards.

A stab backwards, and the Telethia let out a loud cry as the Monado pierced it. It also flew away, yanking the sword from my grasp as it flew into the air.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Shulk. "It took the Monado!"

It was clear to me through the pain that swinging with my right arm would be next tom impossible. I grunted as I grabbed my sword in my right hand regardless, instinctive.

As well, the pain in the middle of my torso was crazy with pain.

I coughed, a cough which made me feel like I was about to throw up my gut. Which didn't happen, but I threw up blood instead.

Melia caught her breath and soon leaning against the wall. "Huff... this is quite the troublesome situation..."

Shulk got out his Junk Sword from somewhere in his likely Legend Of Zelda deep pockets. "Well... the effects of Purge have worn off, as well."

"If we're doing that good without it being able to read our minds... we're screwed," I mused.

"We can't give up, even if that is true," replied Shulk. "There is no way we can give up! Otherwise... what about those... who gave up their lives so we can get to this point?!" Sadness flared up in his eyes.

I sighed. "Damn," I mumbled. "Hey..." Soul me...

"Andrew." In my mind I could see my Soul. "Want my help?" A devilish smile came over his face.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Alright..." He stabbed me with the sword on his back, which looked identical to mine.

I felt something change in me. My form changed with a loud howl, and I could see Soul me rush at the beast.

However, the Telethia easily struck my body with amazing speed, and there was a loud scream coming from me. From my body.

"GAH!"

Suddenly, I was control of my own body again, and back in my normal form. "Huh...?"

"Hey, thanks, Andrew!" Shulk caught the Monado as it fell from the foe's body, putting his Junk Sword away.

I groaned, feeling horribly weakened. My Soul wasn't in me anymore. I could feel it.

My Soul was gone and would be gone forever.

I felt a flicker of power slowly return to my body.

 _If he's gone... and all I do is assume his form... can I sill morph? But he can't stand in for me if things go badly?_ I thought. "Huff... well..." I arose as the Telethia lunged at Shulk, who was sent staggering back from the blow.

"Argh!" He gasped, hitting a wall, which cracked behind him. "Huff..." He fell over with a groan. "I... can't move...!"

"Oh, god no," I muttered. "How the hell are we supposed to beat this thing?!" I yelled.

Melia let out a cry as the Telethia let loose a blast of Ether from its mouth, sending her hard into a wall, which cracked behind her like it had with Shulk.

Then I saw the beast fix its eyes on me.

I realized I was shaking again.

 _I'm scared,_ was the thought that overwhelmed every other in my mind.

I breathed out, and held my sword in a reverse grip, with the Defensive Reversal Art.

The Telethia spread its wings again and moved at me. I diverted its path and it moved away.

"Ow!" I dropped my sword and held my right hand with my left hand. Something was broken in there, I was sure of it. "Huff...!" I gasped, and the Telethia's claws sunk into me. I felt the pain flare through my entire body, blood pumping from all of my injuries.

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk, slowly starting to get back up. "C'mon..." He groaned. "I have to...! Get up...!"

I slid across the floor again. I was now out of energy. I felt like moving a muscle would be impossible.

"Guh!" Shulk was sent flying through the air, and he landed roughly ten feet away from me.

"Ah!" Melia was also sent flying, and she landed about three and a half meters away from the Monado's wielder.

I somehow turned my face towards the two. Even doing that was a great challenge in itself.

"Huff..." Shulk was still trying to get back on his feet.

The Telethia let out a loud screech, turning back at the three of us.

"It's..." I was out of breath, gasping. "Huff..."

"Don't... don't you dare... say it's impossible!" managed Shulk. "Nothing... is impossible! Not... huff... when I have the power of the Monado!" he roared, on one knee now.

"Shulk..." panted the princess, who was lying on her back.

"Melia... Andrew... we have to fight it!" spoke Shulk, and he looked at me. "Light... Heal!"

I felt the pain in my right hand vanish. But I still didn't have the energy to get back up.

"Give... it up... Shulk..." I managed. "There... GAH!" I felt the Telethia sit on me again. "Argh... AAAAH!" I felt several things in my body break now. "AAAGH!"

"Wha?!" gasped Shulk. "Oh, no...!"

I couldn't move at all. I was exhausted.

The Telethia's claw flashed towards my face in a silver shine.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"NO!"

A piercing scream and what felt like a massive blast of Ether washed over me. The Telethia was sent staggering.

I saw Melia's eyes flare yellow.

"Huff!" panted Shulk, as a red aura surrounded him. "SMASH!" he roared, managing to run at the Telethia.

I could only watch as Shulk also used Buster at the same time, cutting the beast cleanly in two with the enlarged blade as it was sent flying through the roof.

"Whoa," I grunted. "Ugh..." If I moved even an inch, pain would overwhelm all my senses. Even my sense of smell, somehow.

"Huff! HUFF!" gasped Shulk, before he fell. Shulk hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Huff!" Dunban burst through the door like Shulk had earlier. "Huff!"

There was a sudden blinding light, and feminine words coming from someone who wasn't Melia.

 _That High Entian... is she still alive?!_ I thought. _How?! I cut her throat! She should be dead!_

"Unh..." Melia looked at Shulk, Dunban and I. "Why... did you come?"

"Look, Melia," I groaned, as hurt came through my senses. "You saw that Telethia. Without Shulk and I... there is no doubt in my mind that you would be dead right now."

"Then that is what happens," she responded. "I knew that death was a possibility when I entered the Tomb."

"Ugh..." Shulk opened his eyes with a groan. "M... Melia... the Monado... it gave me a warning..." He got to his feet with Dunban's help. "That... huff... you were... in danger. I'm... glad we... all made it."

Melia looked away for a moment. "That person... has escaped," mused Melia, leaning heavily against a wall.

She then took in a deep breath and looked at us. "Shulk... wait. Where is... Riki, Reyn and Sharla?"

Dunban grunted. "Riki and Sharla are back in the big room," he spoke. "Reyn... well..."

"He's dead!" Shulk tightly closed his eyes. "He's dead... and... I couldn't save him..."

"Oh." Melia took half a step back. "I... I am sorry for your loss. For the loss of Reyn."

"Okay," I replied. "Can we leave? I... want to not be in pain, thank you very much."

Shulk looked at me, and he gave a heavy sigh. "Yes," he spoke quietly. "Let's go."

A small bit of hurt entered Melia's eyes as Shulk began to move away.

...

Melia moved away from the rest of us. "I will have to report to my father," she spoke.

"And I will go with Her Highness," added Alvis.

Dunban nodded. He was giving me a piggyback ride. "Alright. Stay safe, and stay sharp."

"Yes,." Melia looked at Dunban for a moment too long before she and Alvis moved away.

Shulk yawned. "I just... want to rest for a long time," he groaned, as we came to the teleporter.

In the room was a gruesome scene.

A large break in the glass room.

Riki was on the ground, deep gashes in his body. He whined.

"Ah! Shulk!" he gasped. "Sharla... Riki think Sharla in big trouble."

"Oh, no!" Shulk staggered forward as fast as he could.

Her body was on the table, staining it deep red with her blood.

"Oh... no..." Shulk's eyes turned blue. "Hah! Light Heal!"

Coming closer, over Dunban's shoulder, I saw that it appeared that Sharla's stomach had been scraped out.

Though her actual stomach itself was nowhere to be seen.

"Unh..." A low moan came from her.

"Sharla! Are you OK?!" gasped Shulk, panting as he used Light Heal as quickly as he could do in rapid succession.

"YOU CAN DO IT!" shouted Riki, bathing all of us in the healing Art. I felt awful with pain, but I somehow knew that all my bones were no longer cracked or broken.

"Let me down, Dunban," I grunted, and I managed to unsteadily stand on two feet.

"Huff..." Sharla's breathing slowed. "I..."

"Don't talk!" demanded Shulk. "Huff..." His eyes changed from hope to despair. "I... I can heal you!" His own breathing became uneven. "I... I won't... I won't let you die!"

"Shulk... I'm sorry..." Her voice was almost non-existent. "But...Reyn...

"Something... came in here... and took... Reyn..."

Her head fell back.

"Sharla?!" gasped Shulk. He put his head to her chest. "No... her heartbeat...! It's still there! I... I CAN SAVE HER!"

"Shulk..." Riki bowed his head, as sadness came into his facial expression.

"AAAH!" screamed Shulk, as the Monado's beam turned white. Completely white. He stabbed Sharla's body in the heart.

"Shulk!" exclaimed Dunban. "What are you...?!"

Somehow, the massive gashing wound in Sharla's body closed, the colour returning to her face. "What...?"

"Huff... Sharla..." Shulk fell to the ground again, and passed out for real this time.

She touched her stomach area. "I... I thought I had this massive cut..." She paused. "What happened?"

"Let's say that the Monado is a bit more unique then all of us were expecting," I replied.

Dunban looked thoughtful. "Indeed..."

"Riki happy!" declared the Nopon, bouncing into the air. "Sharla all safe!"

She gasped. "I... I remember now," she spoke. Alarm flared through her eyes.

"A faced Mechon took Reyn's body."

There was silence in the room.

 _XenoBlade's story just became even more of a messed up._

"A faced Mechon?" echoed Dunban. "Was it one that we have encountered before?"

"No... it... ah..." She held her head. "I... I just thought... I knew that Mechon. It seemed so familiar..."

 _Oh god, please tell me it's not Gadolt,_ I thought. "Can you heal us?" I asked. "Shulk and I are still hurting."

"Oh..." She shot into the air. "Heal Round," spoke Sharla, and the Ether particles slowly healed the injuries.

"Hey... what is that?" asked Dunban, looking outside the room and the large cracks in it.

"What are you looking at?" I questioned.

Sharla's grip on her rifle tightened. "Mechon."

 **Thanks for reading!**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

 **Messing with the plot... makes things confusing... for when I am writing the next chapter.**

 **(Apologies if this chapter is a bit shaky; couldn't be listening to a video at the same time, so I had to use memory and the XenoBlade wiki for this one...)**

"Hey, Shulk!" Riki waddled up to the blonde. "Wake up!" He hit him softly with his arm things that let him fly.

Shulk soon opened his eyes with a groan. "What...?" He let out a sharp gasp as his eyes pulsed blue. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed, getting back on his feet. "Ow..." He winced. "Ugh... it can't be!"

"Huh?" I grunted, and Shulk looked at me.

"The-"

There was a sudden loud siren as explosions began to rock the city.

"There's no time!" Shulk sounded strained. "We have to get out there and fight, now!"

There were several High Entians that approached us. "Please... come with us. His Highness, Prince Kallian, wishes to see you."

Shulk wobbled slightly, and kept a hand on the table. He took deep breathes. "Alright. Guys, let's go."

"Shulk, you and Andrew are still heavily injured!" protested the sniper. "Or, at the very least, are hurting so much that your combat effectiveness is low! Let me help you out a bit more!"

He grunted, and we waited briefly as she and Riki healed us.

"Let's go!" snapped Shulk, rushing off to the teleporter.

...

"Melia!" gasped Shulk as we entered the room, where the prince and princess were talking.

"The Imperial Staff is gone, as well... so Father has gone?!" she exclaimed.

"I..." Kallian looked down, hesitant.

"Kallian!" snapped his younger sister.

"The... Emperor has proceeded to Prison Island, alone. For the sake of the empire."

"Why did you let him go alone?!" demanded Melia. "Father...!"

"Is there going to be another law that would normally prevent us from interfering but we ignore it because we go by the logic of saying we're Homs?" I spoke aloud.

"Well... that... does see like something you Homs would do," admitted Kallian. "But we must respect Father's decision! We cannot interfere!"

"No!" protested Melia. "Kallian, I-"

"Everyone... we will go," spoke Dunban.

Everyone looked at him. "Dunban..." grunted Shulk.

"Respect? Destiny? We don't need rules or laws when we go to save the people we care for!" declared the hero of the Homs.

"You too, Melia. The Emperor, your father, he may-"

"Stop!" she responded."Don't... please don't say he's..."

"There is only one thing to do!" he continued. "Is everyone with me?"

"Of course!" replied Shulk.

"But... you can't!" spoke Kallian in disbelief.

"We are Homs," replied Dunban. "We do as we must."

 _But I'm human,_ I thought. _And stuff... eh, whatever._

"You're laws do not concern us!" spat Dunban.

"My laws?" The prince's voice was quiet, deadly. "Hmph... my apologies, Dunban... hero of the Homs."

"There is no need for apologies," replied Dunban. "So, Melia... what is it going to be?"

"We go to Prison Island!" she declared.

...

All six of us gathered, just exiting Alcamoth and into Eryth Sea.

"Prison Island is just ahead," spoke Melia, before turning to the rest of us.

"Do we have to use a transporter?" asked Shulk.

"We do. But first, we must unlock twin seals," she spoke. "It would be fastest if we were to spilt up into two groups."

"Alright," spoke Shulk. "Sharla, Dunban, come with me. Melia, Riki, Andrew, you guys cover the other seal, alright?"

"Got it," responded the half Homs half High Entian princess, and we moved off.

Along the way were several enemies, all of which were quite easy, actually. Almost like the game knew we were tired but also knew that we were soon going to fight Mumkhar.

Finally, we pushed a button that did a pretty light and the path to Prison Island opened.

"Looks like Shulk and the others got to their seal before we did," mused Melia. "Now, let's go-"

I blocked a slash from an alligator thing on two legs. "Whoa...!" I used Whip Slash and cut it apart. "Huh... two more."

"SNEAKY!" shouted the Heropon as he struck another beast from behind. It fell, dead. "Heropon beat enemy good!"

"Indeed," smiled Melia, with a chuckle. "Summon Bolt! Manifest yourself!" The beast fell, dead.

"Let's hurry back," she told us, and so we did.

...

"ARGH!" Shulk was sent flying through the air. "Ow!" he winced. "Ugh...!" He got back up.

"Shulk?!" exclaimed Melia, rushing to him. "What... ah. Another foe to defeat."

 _That thing... a Skyray,_ I thought. "Well." I blinked as Sharla and Dunban were sent crashing into Riki and Melia respectively.

"OW! BIG FISH!" exclaimed Riki.

"Uh... isn't it more like a bird?" I let out a howl as my form shifted, rushing up close. "I'll end this fast!" I used Aura Wave and Whip Slash together, the aura shockwave condensing around my sword as I slashed.

The beast screamed as I cut its wing off by launching the shockwave at close range.

"Huff!" panted Shulk, rushing in. "Yah!" He cut off the other wing, and I reverted to normal. "Compressed... Buster!" He used Back Slash and cut it cleanly in half. "Phew... thanks, guys. That was... pretty tough, actually."

"Well, there's going to be even tougher things ahead," I replied.

"Yeah." Shulk nodded. "I bet."

"This beast... I believe it is one of the oldest creatures on Bionis," spoke Melia. "I... have only seen them as fossils around the capital. To find that they were trapped on Prison Island..." She shook her head.

"Doesn't matter right now," grunted Shulk. "We have to go to Prison Island and save the Emperor!"

"Right," nodded Dunban, and we rushed through the path before us.

There was soon a transporter that we took, and we were in front of Prison Island.

And there were a few Skyrays that attacked us. Because we have to warm up before Metal Face, apparently.

...

"Huff!" panted Shulk. "Thanks, Riki," he spoke as the Nopon healed him. "That was brutal... and we're not there yet. Close, but..." He paused. "Let's go." He ran off.

Finally, we were just behind a large door.

There was also a shiny yellow light coming from it, indicating that YOU SHOULD GO UP TO IT.

"Ah, Dinobeast!" yelled Riki, before moving towards a statue of a Telethia.

"Hey... there's an engraving," mused Shulk. "And... they look similar to the Monado's symbols... maybe there's a connection?" He took out the blade and looked at it.

"These... are old High Entian runes," spoke the princess. "I should..."

I let out a grunt. "Does that really matter right now?"

"I suppose not," answered Melia. "But... where is my father?"

She touched the door, and it faded into... nothingness, I guess.

Sorean and Zanza were beyond it.

"Father!" exclaimed Melia, before she raced forward.

Shulk gave a slight gasp, and I turned to see the blue light slowly disappearing from his eyes.

"Hey, everyone..." He reached out, but the rest of the party were moving after Melia.

"What is it, Shulk?" I sighed.

He looked at me. "I..." He hesitated. "I saw a... a giant... with the Emperor." He moved forward.

"Hm...?" The shackled god looked at Shulk. "So you... you are the wielder of the Monado."

 _You don't say,_ I thought.

"Y-yes, I am," responded Shulk.

"I am Zanza," he told the blonde. "The creator of the Monado.

"Unlock my shackles... and I will unlock the true potential of the Monado for you."

He gasped, taking the blade off his back and looking at it. "The... true potential?" he repeated. "Could it hurt faced Mechon?!"

"Indeed it could," answered Zanza. "Cut these shackles... and that power will be yours."

"Shulk, you can't be thinking of doing that!" spoke Melia. "It..." She paused.

"Melia... I have to," he replied. "I have to get vengenace... for Reyn and Fiora."

Instantly he ran forward and let out a roar as he cut the shackles.

Zanza was free.

"I thank you, current wielder of the Monado," he spoke. "Now... there."

The Monado began to glow, and in the glow, the blade was very slowly changing into the Monado II.

Long slightly curved claws screeched from the sky impaling Zanza, who gasped and collapsed, quickly dying.

"What?!" came out multiple voices.

Then there was Metal Face, all healed up from any past wounds.

"Heh heh heh... these new weapons using the effects of lethal Ether... magnificent!" he laughed, floating in the sky.

"Metal Face!" spat Shulk.

Sorean raised his staff, and cannons fired upon the faced Mechon, bombarding him with relentless attacks.

Smoke was thick around the Mechon, and the mechanical buzzing was gone.

"Father!" Melia ran forward into his arms, and he warmly embraced her.

I grunted, awakening from my half doze of not doing anything. I moved in front of the two, just in time foe Mumkhar to lunge, silent and deadly.

I used Defensive Reversal as I used my Soul Trigger, blocking his attack.

Or so I thought.

I was sent flying into a wall as his claws sank into my body, while Metal Face lunged at Melia and Sorean.

The Emperor gasped, shoving Melia away from him.

Claws from the Mechon sank into the both of them.

"NO!" shouted Dunban and Shulk, both of them rushing forward.

"Ugh..." _He's so much stronger then after the Ether Mine!_ I thought. _Did he train up or something?! Crap!_

 _And those claws of his, dipped in that Ether... disrupts the flow of Ether around me, too, to top it all off!_

 _It's basically an anti-Outsider weapon!_

Finally, the mystical glow left the Monado, fully revealing its new form.

"Dunban!" yelled Shulk. "Get Melia and the Emperor back from there!"

"Sharla, Riki! Heal both of them!"

He turned to me. "Andrew..." The beam of the Monado burst outwards. "Ready?"

I groaned, moving up beside the wielder of the Monado. "Ow... yeah," I responded. "Let's go!" I used Time Slow, and the world around me faded to gray as it usually did. Too bad it also seemed to be making me colour blind.

"We have to hold him off! UGH!" He raised the Monado and blocked the next attack. "His claws... they're dipping with Ether!" he exclaimed.

"I know!" I flew up as the faced Mechon's claws came out, detaching from his body. "WHOA!" With Whip Slash I deflected them. "That's some strong stuff..."

"Speed! Double Speed!" declared Shulk. "LET'S GO!

"I WILL DEFEAT YOU... FOR FIORA!"

I grunted, as the claws of the foe came back. "Damn...!"

Shulk blocked another strike. "Stream- GWAH!"

He was impaled with multiple claw points.

"Shulk!" exclaimed Dunban, rushing up for him.

"Dunban, stop!" I raced in front of Metal Face and blocked his claws as they rushed at Shulk. "RRGH...!"

 _Even being near them is weakening me...! Zanza, you douchebag!_

 _Or is it Egil?!_

 _OR SOMETHING!_

All three of us slid back.

I panted. "Huff..."

Dunban coughed up blood, and I saw a claw stuck in him.

Shulk was bleeding out.

Melia and Sorean were dying swiftly.

Riki and Sharla were trying to save them.

"Is that all you've got?!" laughed Metal Face. "See?! Even if the Monado could hurt me, it won't do any good if you can't hit me!"

"Huff..." I winced as I spread my wings. One of them was broken at a twisted angle. "Ow..."

"And you, Red Coat... seems you've figured it out," mused Mumkhar. "These weapons... they're designed to kill you!"

I groaned, falling to one knee. "Huff..."

"Give it up!" His claws detached, rushing at me.

"Ugh!" I blocked both somehow. "Shulk... I'm not sorry for this."

In my left hand I grabbed the new Monado II, and the beam pulsed out of it.

"What? Andrew, you can wield... ugh... the Monado?!" coughed Dunban.

"Huff... we're gonna find out," I panted, before running at the larger foe.

"Heh! C'mon, then, Red Coat!" shouted Metal Face. "I'LL SHOW YOU!"

Sparks flew as his two claws met with the Monado and my blade.

I gasped. My form reverted to normal as claws sunk into my body. The flow of time also returned to normal.

I fell to one knee. "Huff...!"

Metal Face reared back, claws ready. "See you, Red Coat! GAME OVER!"

 **Thanks for reading!**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

I gasped as his claws sank into my face. "GAH!" A scream tore itself from my body.

He laughed as he released me. "RAH!"

"Rrgh...!" Mumkhar's claws were blocked by Dunban, who was sent flying backwards.

"Dunban!" shouted a voice.

Everything seemed hazy all of a sudden. Who was that? Who was speaki-

Something wet and cold sunk into my face again. It was unbearable. Death would've been better then this.

I saw black as my face hit the ground.

"How pathetic!" spat another voice. "Here I was, thinking you could be interesting after all... but now, here you are. DEAD!"

In the back of my head was the sharp pain of feeling three knives.

"ANDREW!" A cough followed the shout. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"Ha ha ha!" Rich laughter. "Can you make me, Monado Boy?" A sneer followed, as did a dull thud and a gasp of pain.

I couldn't feel anything. The world all felt dizzy, like after spinning around a few dozen times. Nothing would stay still.

"Andrew!" A female voice this time were what my instincts were telling me. "He's-" A loud scream, more dull thuds.

I felt something hit me, hard, like from a rifle.

Anything I may have had even a few moments back was all gone. No strength, no feeling, no nothing.

A ragged, hurt gasp somehow made its way from me.

That alone made the pain amplify several times, and I shook, on the ground as I was.

"Andrew!" A... a hand touched me. A somewhat deep male voice, now. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't answer. Even the mere thought of just moving was impossible.

"It would appear not," mused the male. "ARGH!"

I sensed a rush of wind about an inch in front of me, plus the abnormally loud sound of something cracking.

"So... you aren't done yet, Red Coat?" spoke a voice. "Guess I have to finish you off now, then!"

"No, you don't!" yelled yet another voice, and there was a sharp sound as metal met something a bit more... unique. "I won't... let you kill him!" Heavy effort was clear from the voice. "Ugh..."

I threw up blood on the ground, my instincts alone using my arms to heave myself up as I did the action.

My vision was bright and surreal for a few moments as my sight returned, before it too was back to normal.

"Huff..." I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, and then Shulk crashed into me. "UGH!"

"Ouch... sorry, Andrew," panted Shulk. "Are you OK?"

"Ugh..." I stared at the sky for a second. "Huff... huff... huff..."

"Andrew?" He shook my shoulder. "We're in a fight right now! Metal Face is coming!"

"R-right..." I looked at him, and he passed me my sword, comfortable in my grip. "Huff..."

"C'mon!" he spoke, moving forward, releasing the beam of the Monado again. "We have to take down Metal Face!"

I stared, feeling myself shake, still panting for air.

"Hah...!" Shulk just dodged a claw, for the other to rush at him. "Ugh!" He blocked with the Monado, and slammed into a wall. "Huff... ugh...!" He spat out blood. "Huff... huff..."

A shadow came over, and there was Mumkhar.

"C'mon, Red Coat!" He raised his claws once more. "Think you can survive this?!"

As his claws screeched through the air, I felt something.

Then I felt where he was going to strike, even as the claws raced to injury me some more.

I raised the sword and nullified the attack.

The resulting shockwave made a distant building collapse.

"Hm?!" grunted the Mechon. "RAH!" He swiped with both claws this time.

I held my blade out in a reverse grip, using Defensive Reversal without turning around, deflecting the two claws.

"What...?" gasped Shulk. "Andrew, how...?"

"So you have something you've been hiding," mused Mumkhar. "Show me, Outsider! SHOW ME BEFORE YOU DIE!"

I looked at him. "Huff..." I let out a grunt as I felt his next movement and evaded, just. _Fast...!_ "Huff..." I let out a hurt wheeze, using my blade to block another attack, which made me slide almost over the edge. "Huff..." I coughed, my vision blurring briefly. "Huff..." _It hurts... to breathe..._ "Huff..."

"RAH!"

I let out a harsh wheeze at the shout, feeling the claws sink into me once more. "Huff...!"

"Heh heh heh... hm?" Mumkhar grunted, moving away to dodge the Back Slash that came at him. "Ha! Too slow, Monado Boy!"

"Huff..." Shulk wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Huff... Andrew, are you alright?" He paused. "Light Heal!"

I panted. "Huff... huff..." I spat out blood with another wheeze. "Huff..."

 _I couldn't sense that last attack..._ I stared, holding a hand to my gut. "Huff..." _Did my pain blind me? Did I not focus?_ "This... huff... is a pretty... bad... situation... huff..."

"Hello again, Andrew."

A hand grabbed my face and drove me and the person holding my face over the side of the tower.

I was deaf to any screams or cries or anything for the briefest of moments as my face was released.

I coughed out blood. "Zulf..."

"HAH!" His form changed into something that looked similar to my Soul Trigger, if instead of excessive black there was excessive white, using a sword to launch me sideways, into a wall.

"UGH!" I fell over. "Huff..." _I can't..._ "Huff..." I closed my eyes, as the pain exploded throughout my whole body. "HUFF!"

"If Mumkhar is giving you this much trouble, when you've awakened the ability to sense the world..." His form returned to normal. "How do you hope to face Zanza?"

"Huff..." Through the blood running through my eyes, which I wiped away, I saw him with his sword drawn. "Huff... how... huff... do you... know... ugh... that... I can... feel...?"

He slammed me against the wall, through it with ease. "It doesn't matter right now how I know," he spoke. "What matters, my fellow Outsider... is how you hope to fight Zanza."

"Huff..." I groaned, slowly getting back up. "Huff...! I... don't... know... right now... I'm... huff... fighting Metal... Face... huff..."

"Yeah, yeah." Zulf breathed out. "Hmph. But even for that, you're too weak.

"Guess it's up to me to end your life then. It's hopeless. You'll never beat Lord Zanza now."

He stabbed me. "Gwah...!" I looked at him through unsteady eyes. "Huff..."

"What do you want, Andrew?" He pulled his sword out, ready to stab again. "Hm?"

 _What... I want...? I want... to win..._ "Huff..." I fell to my knees. "Huff...!" _I want... to not die..._

 _I..._

"Later." His sword rushed at my face.

I closed my eyes tightly shut.

 _I want to see them._

 _I want to see all my friends again._

My form changed, to something that I knew, in my gut, was sinister, wrong, evil, despite the fact that the appearance was the same as my Soul Trigger form.

My hand slid by his stab, lightly cutting all the fingers.

The building behind us, as well as a couple dozen more, all collapsed.

"Well well well..." Zulf smiled. "Your desire is strong enough."

I let out a howl, before the feeling of a few hundred slashes cut me. "UGH!" I gasped.

"Did I ever tell you, or did anyone else did?" he mused. "The form one's Soul Trigger takes is a reflection of your true self. But you saw my Soul form earlier, right?"

I doubled over, reverting to normal as I threw up blood on the ground.

"It was white... due to me being a bit more... optimistic about life," he spoke. "Which gives benefits, compared to your form, since you're pessimistic.

"Like... I take less damage and slowly heal from injury. A more defensive form, if you would. While your form increases pain tolerance and total damage output. Like Jake's, as well."

"Huff! Huff!" I looked at him. "Huff... so...? Where... are you... going with this...?!"

"The Soul Trigger influences the time controlling power us Outsiders gain. While you would only gain the power to slow or increase time's flow, someone like me... can slow or stop time itself."

I stared. "Wha...?"

Zulf smirked. "Even if you do defeat Mumkhar somehow, I serve Lord Zanza. And you are incapable of defeating me no matter how hard you may try."

Then his blade was inside my face.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

There was a blinding pain in me.

God, why did I do it?

I should've known that fighting a guy like that would be...

I opened my eyes with a grimace as agony that swelled through my head.

"Wha..."

Someone holding a rifle came into my sight. "Phew," she breathed. "There you are, finally awake."

I blinked. "How am I alive?" _Didn't he... stab me in the face?_

Sharla let out a breath. "Your heartbeat was non-existent, but somehow we brought you back."

The way she averted her eyes to something other then me made me think she was hiding something.

I was on my back. The room we had been captive in was the one we were in, with newly rebuilt windows.

"Ugh..." I couldn't rise. I felt too tired and had no willpower to do so.

"Don't even try. I'm sorry to say it, but... with the amount of injury you sustained, you should be dead."

I groaned. "Is that why I feel like a pile of crap right now?"

"In crude terms, I suppose so."

She had changed.

But what had...

"As well, there are going to be a massive scar on your face."

"Ugh... where... where's... Shulk... Dunban... Riki... and Melia?" I managed.

Sharla reloaded her gun with empty shells that could be probably filled with Ether for damaging and healing purposes.

"All of them are alive. Though barely, in Melia's and Riki's cases. Shulk and Dunban are relaxing in the sunlight outside, talking."

I looked around the room once more, and saw the heavily bandaged princess and Nopon, as bandaged as I was.

I sighed. "What happened... after I got thrown off?"

"We fought that Mechon," answered the sniper Overwatch totally didn't rip off. "Shulk got hurt pretty badly, and overexerted himself using the Monado, but we pulled through."

"Except for the Emperor."

I saw Shulk, the Monado II on his back as he walked in.

"Andrew, are you alright?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Somehow."

He let out a breath. "Alright, good." Shulk sighed. "What do we do now...? All of us are hurt pretty badly, and the Emperor is dead, and..."

Sharla shot healing Ether through the air. "Relax, Shulk. We're still alive. So we can keep fighting."

 _What happened? They all..._ I felt energy come into me. "Huh...?"

"I think you should go out in the sunshine," spoke Sharla. "You probably could do with fresh air."

I winced, rising. A yawn came out. "Ugh..."

"Ready?" asked Shulk, before he walked into the teleporter.

I grabbed my sword on the ground out of instinct.

"Hey, Andrew. Put that down. You're supposed to be recovering."

I looked at her. "Uh..." I shifted the familiar weight from hand to hand. "Um...c'mon, please?"

"No." She shot another round of Ether through the air. "You can comeback for it lat-hey!"

By the time she protested, I had already walked through the teleporter.

"Hm? Ah, Andrew." Dunban looked at me, sitting. "So you're awake once more."

"Uh... yeah," I replied. "Wait... where's Shulk?"

"Here." He yawned. "Huh... you sure look different with that long scar on your face, Andrew."

"Thanks," I deadpanned. I touched the right side of my face, under my eye, and felt a slightly rough, but mostly normal feeling line. "Is that it?"

"Yeah," replied Shulk. "But... Melia and Riki still haven't regained consciousness yet."

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"Two days," replied Dunban. "You recovered quite quickly, actually."

"Yay," I mumbled, as a wave of tiredness hit me. "Ugh..."

Shulk let out a grunt. "Fiora... she's alive..."

 _Oh yeah,_ I thought. _He saw her again..._ "Yeah...?"

"We saw Fiora after almost defeating that Mechon," spoke Dunban. "It..." He swallowed.

I rolled my eyes, almost out of pure instinct. "Huh... so what happens next?"

"Still a little early for that," replied Shulk. "I wanna go after Fiora, but..." A slight pause and the very slight sound of teeth softly grinding together.

"We're all still beat up, and it's gonna take a while to recover," he continued.

"Got that right," I mumbled. "God, I hurt..."

"Go back inside," advised Dunban. "Get more rest."

"Sure..." I wandered back, into the teleporter.

Sharla looked up. "Set your sword down, please."

I did so, placing it on the table. "Ugh... I'm hungry," I mumbled.

"Wait... I have some dried jerky in this bag..." Out of an old-looking and very frequently used bag came the food.

"Thanks." I began to eat, looking out the window as I did so.

It was early afternoon, and the sun reflected off the waves in the nearby bodies of water, which then shone onto the many buildings in Alcamoth, mixing with the colours, of red, green, yellow, blue and the millions of colours in between.

It was beautiful.

"What are you smiling for?"

The sniper's words cut across my mind.

"Just thinking... the world really is a beautiful place, isn't it?" I spoke.

She looked out the window. "It sure is," she agreed, a small smile of her own coming onto her face.

 _Too bad the real world isn't anything near as nice... with global warming, and wars, and the problems of rising populations, and..._

 _All of it is a massive mess._

A sigh came out.

"Oh? What are you sighing for, Andrew?" asked Shulk, walking in.

I looked at him. I felt something inside me stir.

"You know how they say violence is never the answer?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Violence was what won wars, and peace, wasn't it?" I grunted. "The illusion of peace, anyway."

He paused, going into his thinking pose. "Yeah... yeah, that's right," he mused. "I... I never thought of it that way though..."

 _I wouldn't expect you to._ "Well... just something to think about..."

 _That guy, Zulf... he can stop time._

 _If he's serving Zanza... that means Zanza is even stronger..._

 _I didn't stand a chance against Zulf._

 _Maybe... maybe I should give up beating XenoBlade Chronicles._

"Andrew?"

I looked up. "Yeah?"

"You look like you're thinking too much," spoke Shulk. "You should relax while you can. As soon as we get all better, we're gonna set out for Valek Mountain.

"It's where Alvis has told me where we should go next."

 _We're going to meet Mumkhar again... and outside his suit, he's sure to be even faster, maybe even more lethal somehow..._

 _How will I fight him, let alone Zulf or Zanza or Dickson?_

"C'mon, Andrew. You should rest. Never know when they wake up, you know!" Shulk moved out with the teleporter.

I let out a groan as I lay down.

 _I'm going to be stuck in this world forever... assuming I don't get killed by swords or lasers or something..._

 _There's no way to beat the odds this time..._

 _It's impossible._

 **If one of the main characters HAVE to die, who would you want it to be?**

 **Please give me your thoughts, by PM or reviews or otherwise.**

 **I already know which party member is going to die next, so watch out for that... (No spoilers...)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

 **People really don't like Melia...**

My eyes opened once more to a night sky just starting to brighten up with the slowly rising sun.

A week and no change to Melia and Riki.

I let out a sigh, picking up my sword and placing it on my back.

I used the teleporter and got outside, where Shulk sat, looking at the sunrise.

I yawned. "Shulk... don't stare at the sun. It could cause some serious eye damage you probably don't want."

"Oh... yeah." He shook his head and arose.

"It makes you feel a bit hopeless, doesn't it?"

"What?" I replied.

"Like... we left Colony 9 because Fiora got killed, and then we went on this journey for revenge.

"And then... Reyn got killed and we found out that Fiora wasn't dead after all."

I looked at him. "Do you regret going on this journey?"

"In a way... yes and no." He sighed. "It's just... it almost feels like there wasn't a need for Reyn to die."

I blinked. "Okay."

"Ugh..." He looked away, for a brief moment. "Yeah... oh.

"Andrew, while we're still here..." He drew the Monado. "How about a friendly spar?"

My hand gripped my sword. "When was the last time?" I spoke.

"When we were last in Colony 9, after Metal Face..." Shulk paused, before shaking his head. The beam pulsed outwards. "What matters..."

He grasped the sword in both hands, settling into a ready stance.

"Is how well you and I can get stronger, and quick."

"That's what matters right now?"

"Uh... well, there's so many powerful enemies in our way forward, now," he spoke. "So we have to get stronger, as fast as possible."

"Guess so." I drew my blade, holding it loosely in one hand. "Alright... let's do this."

"Yah!" He moved forward, and I blocked, sensing the location of which he would slash at.

Our swords met several times, each time in a fierce clash.

The swords met once more, and we got to a deadlock.

"You're a lot better then I remember, Andrew," he spoke, a tiny amount of strain present in his voice. "Like... really good."

"Thanks," I replied. "But you won't-WHOA!" I tilted my head to the side as he released the Monado's beam after swiftly retracting it, just cutting the side of my face.

He let out a breath as I leapt away. "It did work. Let your guard down?" he smiled.

I laughed aloud. "Oh, that's funny." A smirk got on my face and I readied myself. "Hah!" I used Aura Wave to use shockwaves he dodged, just. Smoke blew up from where they hit the ground.

I closed my eyes as I breathed out. _Behind me?!_ I rolled away from a slash.

He chased after me. "Stream Edge!" he shouted, and I ducked under his slash. "Wha..."

"Whip Slash!" I swung, but he leapt back, dodging my Art. "Aw, man..." I straightened upright. "I still missed?"

He let out another breath. "Nice, Andrew. But now.. it's time to stop holding back a little." A symbol appeared on the Monado. "Ready?"

I grunted. "So going at each other with everything we have is how we get stronger?"

"Yeah," he replied. "So let's go!" A blue aura surrounded his shoes. "Speed!"

I grunted as he leapt through the air. "Hah!" I used Stab Strike, and our swords met for a moment, before he slipped past. "Ugh...?"

I looked at my arm to see a thin trail of blood dripping down from yet another small cut.

"Didn't block it the whole way, huh...?"

I let out a gasp, sensing him at my side. "Slit Edge!" he shouted.

I just managed to get my sword in a reverse grip in time to nullify his Art with Defensive Reversal. He slid away.

"Phew... that was close," I grunted. "And not how I expected you to fight. Getting an enemy when they're distracted?"

"Hey... you still blocked it," he replied. "So..."

"Yeah... let's keep going." I readied myself once more, sword in a firmer grip now.

 _Can't get cocky, even though I can sense where he's gonna attack now..._

"Hah!" He moved forward again, slashing.

I dodged his slash, and swung. He nullified the blow and forced me back. "Geh!"

"Huh... alright. Ready?" Shulk let out a breath as a blue aura surrounded him. "Not only Speed... but the original Monado Speed Art too, for twice the speed multiplier." He rushed by, lightly cutting me.

"Ugh..." I closed my eyes as I slid away, only to feel a slash. "Ugh?!" _I didn't feel him...!_

"What's wrong?" he asked, halting for a moment, five feet away.

I smiled. "Nothing. Let's go."

"Mind if I watch you two?"

Shulk paused, his auras fading away. "Dunban!"

The swordsman rubbed his temple. "Seems like you two are practicing, which should be interesting."

"Alright... yeah, sure! That OK with you, Andrew?"

"Doesn't matter to me," I responded.

"Alright... I've found out a new name for using both variants of Speed on myself. Ready?" A dark blue aura that radiated with what seemed to be the embodiment of speed slowly drifted around him. "Monado Speed 2!"

I activated my Soul Trigger, and met his slash with my blade. Sparks flew as our swords danced before the both of us, never hitting anything but air and the other person's blade.

The tip of the sword hit the ring where the symbol was displayed, and Shulk forced me back, as that area was flooded with light, due to a Monado Art being active.

"BUSTER!" he shouted, his previous auras not disappearing even as the enlarged beam attempted to stab through my stomach.

Using my senses, I evade the beam with a grunt, before moving in.

"Ah..." Shulk grunted as the beam reverted to normal. "JUMP!" He leapt high in the air, twice, before slashing down. "BACK SLASH DESCENT!"

He was too fast. I staggered as he cut me, and managed to get my blade back in to use Defensive Reversal to divert a Stream Edge. "Huh...?"

"AIR SLASH ASCENT!" He carried me as he used a wide upwards slash, before using a second slash to send me into a wall. "Phew..." Jump faded away, as did Speed. "How about that, Andrew?!"

I emerged from the smoke with a grunt. "Where'd you get Arts like that?"

"I mixed up some of my Arts to be different," he replied. "Anyway... I still have more tricks up my sleeve, so we're not to done yet!"

"We're not," I agreed. "I've been thinking of my Arts as well. HAH!" I condensed an aura around my blade. "Aura Slash!" I got up close as I slashed, unleashing the shockwave that just nicked him.

"Whoa!" He leapt back, grunting as my sword stabbed at him. "Oh, no."

"Stab Wave!" I declared, unleashing a shockwave as I stabbed through the Monado's wielder.

He rolled away, as my blade slid out of his jacket. "Aw... that shockwave made a bit of a hole in my jacket!"

"Sorry." I let my form return to normal.

"It's fine," he replied. "I've been starting to look for gear that's just as flexible and light, but more defensive." He breathed out. "Alright..." The beam retracted. "How about a little more?"

"Yeah!" I replied. "If you don't mind getting beat up," I added after a moment.

"Fighting words," mused Dunban.

"They sure are," agreed Shulk. "So I'm not gonna hold back! Let's go!" He rushed forward, leaping through the air. "Back Slash Descent!"

I blocked the attack, sliding away. "Huh...?" I sensed a slash from behind, and held my sword over my right shoulder to nullify the impact of the slash. "Hi there." I waved at him, before using Whip Slash, which he avoided, leaping away.

Shulk let out another breath. "Really is no way to get the jump on you without the power of the Monado, huh, Andrew?"

"Probably there's a way, you just haven't though hard enough yet," I replied.

"I guess," he replied. "But you can't get me, either."

"Huh..." _Even after using a bunch of the Monado Arts, he hasn't used Battle Soul, or showing any obvious signs of exhaustion..._ I breathed out. "So right now we're about equal, huh?"

"Looks that way. So let's make this a bit unequal!" he declared. "Speed!"

I let out a grunt before just blocking an Air Slash. The normal version of the Art.

Then he was behind me.

"Whoa!" I just dodged a slash with a jump.

"Air Slash Ascent!" he shouted, starting to chase after me in the air.

I let out a grunt, slowing time to block his attack.

He leapt away. "Phew... that was good."

"Was good?" I repeated. _This can't be good..._ "Uh..."

"Take this! Monado Eater!" shouted Shulk, thrusting the blade forward.

I felt my eyes widen as I slid away. "Ow...?" I saw a long line of blood trailing along my whole right arm. "That's inconvenient." I shook my arm to get the blood oozing from the shallow but long wound off. "When'd you learn that?"

"I saw that the Monado still had various symbols that I hadn't unlocked yet," he replied. "So I studied them. Turns out... with the right charge of Ether in the air, the Monado has more powers I can utilize."

"Is that... uh... Ether science?"

"I've forgotten," admitted Shulk. "Been years since I studied the flow of Ether and how it can affect life for the better or worse."

I paused. "Huff..." _Already out of breath? What did I do?_ "Well..."

"Seeing you two go at it... makes me feel old," smirked Dunban.

"Sorry, Dunban!" called Shulk. "If you want... you can join in."

"No... you two better practice." He stood. "I'll go back. Don't stay out for too much longer, and don't get hurt too badly!" He walked into the teleporter.

Shulk turned back to me. "Well... BUSTER!" There was a purple aura around the Monado. "Monado Speed 2!"

I let out another apprehensive grunt, shifting into my Soul Trigger form.

 _He has Speed times two, and the compressed Buster up!_ I thought as we clashed several times. _How is he using three Monado Arts at the same time?!_

"Hah!" he yelled, before springing away. "Alright... come at me!"

"RAWR!" I lunged, slashing.

"Vision...!" he breathed, assuming a pose. He leapt away as I slowed down, light surrounding me.

Oh god no.

"RAH!" He slashed me back, before all his Arts released. "Phew... that's tiring," he spoke.

"OW!" I winced as I slammed into a wall. "Ugh... " _He didn't knock me through...? Oh yeah, Buster decreases knockback..._ "Ugh!" I felt myself return to normal fully, falling from the wall to land on my hand and knees. "Ouch. That hurt."

"You OK, Andrew? I didn't hurt you too bad?" he asked.

I coughed. "Nah... gotta get used to abuse if I want to toughen up." I snapped a few fingers back properly in place. "Didn't even... ow... notice." I shook my left hand vigorously. "Phew."

"Whew..." The Monado's beam retracted. "Huff... sorry. You mind if we continue later?"

"Sure." I breathed out, wiping sweat from my forehead. "That was fun."

"Yeah..." Shulk placed the mystical blade on his back. "Light Heal!" He healed me. "There. Now... let's go in and take a break." He walked towards the teleporter.

"Alright, sure." I followed after a moment, looking outside.

 _But this crap still isn't enough to do anything..._ I ground my teeth together briefly. I sighed, and hung my head. "Damn."

"Andrew."

I turned. "Shulk."

"Are there others called Outsiders like you?"

I paused. "Yeah."

"Are they on our side?"

I looked at a building, which blocked some of the rising sun's light.

"I... in the end... I wouldn't bet on it."

Shulk wiped sweat from his forehead. "OK. Then... are they the enemy?"

I closed my eyes.

I felt his blade sink into me hundreds of times, seeing it in my mind.

And the power to stop the flow of time.

I opened my eyes.

"Oh hell yeah."

 **Note: Aura Slash combines Whip Slash and Aura Wave.**

 **Stab Wave combines Stab Strike and Aura Wave.**

 **Since three shockwaves can be swiftly** **unleashed (at a time), Andrew is capable of unleashing those combination Arts quickly, as well as a possible one more.**

 **Anyway... thank you all for reading this piece of fanfiction, which has now been going for over a year. Woo.**

 **(Side note: I don't think this'll be done in two years... not with what I have in mind.)**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

"Andrew! Melia's finally awake!"

I looked back at Shulk. "Woo. Enthusiasm."

He tilted his head. "Are you feeling tired?"

"Yeah." I yawned. "That's a part of it, anyway."

"And Riki, too! Soon, we'll be able to go off and get to Valek Mountain!" declared Shulk.

"Indeed," spoke Dunban. "You have been talking with Alvis for quite a while, yes?"

"Yeah," responded the blonde. "He says he'll come with us to Valek Mountain."

"Good to have a guide," mused the older swordsman.

"Alright... pretty soon, all of us will be able to go to Valek Mountain!" declared Shulk.

 _He must be really excited since he keeps mentioning it..._ "And..." _Mumkhar's gonna be there, too..._

"Hm? What was that, Andrew?"

"Ah... nothing," I replied.

His eyes narrowed. "Hey... mind coming with me before we see Melia and Riki?"

"Okay," I groaned, rising from where I sat.

We walked a bit through Alcamoth. When he finally spoke I almost missed it.

"So let's clear some things up a little more. You're an Outsider, a ...human, right?"

"Yeah."

"And your Talent Art lets you slow down time?"

"Correct," I replied, cracking a few fingers.

"And that strange other form... what is that?"

"The Soul Trigger," I responded. "It boosts my attack power, speed, and pain tolerance."

He nodded. "I see."

"What's the point of asking me?"

"I just... that... Soul Trigger... is very useful for taking out Mechon," he mused. "It lets you destroy Mechon even without the power of the Monado! That's incredible."

 _Yeah, and it's still not enough to beat this game._ "That's all good and all... so why ask me now?"

"Just some stuff I'd been curious about but always forgot to ask whenever we weren't in a fight or something."

I looked at him. "Hmph."

"Where are you from, again?"

"Earth," I replied.

"What's that?"

I paused. "A... planet. Probably very far from here."

"Then how did you get on Bionis?"

 _That's like me asking how you got in Smash Bros., you know._ "I don't know."

He let out a heavy sigh. "Alright."

"So this is where you two are."

I turned at the voice of Alvis. "Hi."

He nodded. "Shulk. Are you ready?"

He let out a breath. "If everybody else is, I'm ready."

"Well, then we should see if your party is indeed ready, hm?"

He and Shulk moved away, and I followed.

...

"Melia! Riki!' Shulk ran forward. "It's good to see the two of you awake!"

"Thank you for your concern, Shulk," replied the princess. "H... how long has it been?"

"Over a week," came my auto response.

She sighed. "It has been quite a while, then."

"Riki tired," mumbled the Nopon. "Riki want to..." He yawned. "Unmh."

"Forgive me," spoke a nameless Imperial Guard who may just be dead in a few hours.

I don't know what'll happen to him.

"His Highness Kalian summons you," he continued.

"You... think something has happened?" murmured Shulk.

"We won't know until we get there," replied Dunban. "So let us be off.

"Melia, Riki. Do you think we are well enough to come with us?"

"It's my brother. I wish to see what he wishes to speak about," replied Melia.

"Riki want to see Bird Man again!" declared the Heropon.

"Alright. Then let's go," spoke Dunban, and we all went off once more, Alvis included.

...

"I apologize for summoning you on such short notice," spoke the prince.

"It's fine," the blonde hastily reassured the High Entian. "Is there something wrong?"

Kalian bowed his head as his eyes closed. "I must apologize to you all," he spoke, voice loud and clear. "Please forgive our hubris."

 _He would be a good leader, maybe,_ I thought suddenly. _Knowing when he's right and wrong..._

 _Too bad he dies._

Melia, perhaps despite her will, had a slight gasp tear out of her.

A line of slight strain grew on the face of the prince.

"We High Entia were arrogant enough to sit behind our defences, safe in the knowledge that Mechonis lays a great distance from our land.

"And we were wrong."

 _That last part was very sudden,_ I thought.

"Our decision... to ignore the Mechon assault on your land... was wrong," he continued.

"Your Highness... does this mean..." breathed Shulk.

"Yes, Shulk." The prince opened his eyes clearly to gaze upon us all. "We will face the dangers that lie ahead... together."

Melia stared at Kalian. "Brother..."

"Which leads me to my request. After setting eyes on a group consisting of Homs, Nopon and High Entia alike, I have realized that to survive against everything that may lie ahead... an allied army must be formed."

He took a long breath. "I ask that you act as ambassadors of this force."

Shulk turned his head away, closing his eyes.

Every party member looked at the wielder of the Monado.

"Tell me your thoughts, Shulk," spoke Kalian, in a somewhat gentle fashion.

"I... need some time before I make a decision," he finally responded.

He then walked away, out of the palace.

Kalian walked over to his much younger (i human and Homs years) sister.

"Does Shulk not wish to aid us in our mission?" he questioned.

 _How would she know?_

"I do not believe that to be true," she replied, turning to face her brother.

"Then why?" he wondered.

She looked away. "Shulk... Shulk has other people to consider, as well."

We then all began to slowly trail after the blonde. I paused once I noticed Kalian gestured for Melia to stop.

"Melia..." Kalian breathed out after the word. "We must have a ceremony detailing when you become Crown Princess. If you are up to it, then I wish to get it out of the way now."

"Alright, brother," she replied, nodding. "Hm..." She saw me. "Andrew..."

"Ah... Andrew. Excuse me please, Melia." Kalian walked over to me.

"Hello," I spoke as he neared.

"Andrew... a Homs, correct?"

"Uh... kinda," I replied. "Human, if you want the truth."

"You seem trustworthy, so I ask of you a simple task," he told me.

I nodded.

"I know that Melia still wishes to venture with Shulk and your group. So I have a plan so that she is able to do so."

 _Kagebunshin No Justu! Oh wait, wrong game or anime or whatever..._

"I have a request I wish to ask of you, and... in reality, just you, out of the whole group."

I stared at him. "Why me out of Shulk or Dunban or... uh, Riki? All of them are more charismatic in every way."

"It is not a matter of charisma," he replied."It is... regarding her safety.

"During your journey, I wish for you to promise me she will make it out alive and well."

"And why me compared to Shulk again? He seems to be better suited to this," I responded.

"Well... if I were to be honest... I do not wish for Melia to be too close to any of you."

 _Is this guy trying to secretly ship Melia with someone else?_ I wondered. _No way! You should totally be shipping Melia and Dunban! Wait... CURSE YOU, FANFICTION! IT'S YOUR FAULT I'M LIKE THIS! MAKING ME STAY UP UNTIL 12 ON SCHOOL NIGHTS!_

 _ESPECIALLY YOU, LEMON FANFICTION!_

 _Or maybe I should curse the fanfiction writers for writing such good works... SOMETHING!_

"Uh... for what reason to you... wish that for?" I asked.

He sighed. "When your journey ends, Melia will return to Alcamoth as the leader of all the High Entia. That point onward, it will be very difficult for her to have any free time, or time spent managing to visit your group, her friends."

I let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. I will, to the best of my power, try to keep Melia alive."

"Alright, good," replied Kalian. "My thanks."

"Yeah...?" I walked out, letting out a grunt.

 _Is she going to die, like Reyn?_

"Well... not if I can help it, I suppose," I mumbled, before taking off.

 **Next time, we will finally get out of Alcamoth... it only took four chapters (I believe) after the battle with Metal Face.**

 **Thank you all for reading!**

 **Note: If Andrew were to be in some other game after XenoBlade is over, what game would you suggest he get in? (As well, please consider that Andrew will be stupid powerful by that point, though if Andrew does get in another game, I do know how to power him down...)**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

"Do you guys think Melia's gonna want to stay here?"

"Hm..." Dunban's voice rang out in the air. "We would have to ask her."

"Probably," I spoke as I entered the room we had been staying in for the last while.

"Andrew." Shulk looked at me. "What makes you..."

"Listen, Shulk. She's a princess," I spoke. "She has a duty to stay near and stuff." _Even though she's gonna be coming along, this is what a more normal plot would have Melia doing..._

 _But so much crazy crap has happened anyway, so let's throw logic out the window if we haven't already._

"I... I guess," he replied. "Well... I think... I think it's best... for us... to... be ambassadors." He groaned. "I... I want to find Fiora, but... splitting up isn't..."

"You may leave being ambassadors to me."

The princess walked forward.

She looked around us all. "Forgive me, but... I heard you all mention the duty with being ambassadors. And Shulk... you wish to find Fiora, yes?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I shall handle the duty of being an ambassador," she replied. "As of both Homs and High Entian blood, as well as being the Crown Princess, it would be my duty to carry out this task."

"Then we could look for Fiora," mused Shulk. Then understanding dawned on his face "Wait... but Melia, that would mean..."

"Yes, Shulk. I will remain here."

Her firm words echoed across the otherwise now silent room.

She bowed her head, and slight traces of melancholy entered her voice. "We must now say goodbye."

"Is that what you really want?" interrupted Sharla.

"I... yes," responded the princess, her posture slightly shifting. "However... promise me that when you all find Fiora, you will come back here."

 _Oh yeah. With her dad dead, even with Kalian filling in for her, she's still probably gonna be endlessly busy,_ I thought. _It would overall be really difficult for her to catch any breaks..._

"I will be here waiting for you," she continued.

"I... I don't... I don't know what to say," admitted Shulk. "But... thank you, Melia."

In unison, all five other party members started to move out, with the teleporter.

I paused, feeling something at the back of my mind.

A sharp object cutting flesh, blood bursting out in an almost kind, merciful way, somehow.

"What...?" I murmured, looking behind me.

 _What is that...?_

"Andrew! Are you coming?"

I grunted at Shulk's voice. "Yeah, yeah." I ran off after him.

Then I sensed a scythe swinging out, slashing a person in two.

I let out a grunt. _That..._

"Andrew!" Shulk looked back at me. "What's wrong?"

"I... have to check something out," I replied. _Hope curiosity doesn't kill the cat this time..._ "Go on without me."

"What are you gonna check out?"

I groaned. "Listen. Just... I have to check this out. Meet me in front of here in... let's say two hours."

"That's a pretty long time," he noted. "And you have to go alone?"

"It is probably best if I go alone, yeah."

"But... it could be dangerous."

 _With my luck, it's likely to be a thing that will try to kill me._ "I should be fine. If I don't show, assume I'm dead or very lost."

"Absolutely sure you don't-"

"Shulk!" Melia's voice, as her body came through the teleporter.. "We should be going!"

"Coming!" he shouted. "Alright... OK. Be sure to show up, Andrew."

"Yeah..." He walked through the teleporter, and I breathed out.

 _Wonder who that person is, wielding a scythe..._

 _If they want a fight, this should be fun._

I walked through the teleporter, using my senses to move out, using teleporters into Eryth Sea.

"He he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he..."

 _My god, who the hell can laugh that long?!_ I looked out.

There was a girl, about half a head shorter then me, wielding a massive scythe twice my size.

She held it over her shoulder, as her cape drifted with the wind, back and forth.

 _It took me twenty minutes to get here,_ I thought. _So I should have enough time to investigate like Phoenix Wright!_ "Hi-"

She turned with blood-stained teeth. "Ha ha ha... more meat to join the table!"

"Wait, what?"

The scythe moved forward, as well as her body.

I drew my sword to block the impact, and slid away. "Ow..."

"I hope that you put up more of a fight before dying." She licked her teeth. "More then those two, anyway."

I looked at the blood-soaked battlefield. Shotgun gauntlets remained untouched, as did a sword. A sword that...

 _She killed Rain and Storm,_ I thought. "Damn. Never did finish their story..."

"Heh he heh... so you're the famous Outsider I've heard about!" she snickered. "Wow... how pitiful."

"Thank you," I replied. "Always so nice to be told I'm pitiful."

"Andrew the Outsider... you should know my name too, since it's the last one you'll ever know," she mused. "I am Rose."

"Like I care," I replied. "You're the one who's gonna wind up dead!"

She laughed. "How rich." She moved forward, and our weapons met in a fierce shower of sparks.

 _How come fiction has so many scythe users that are female?!_ I thought, dodging a slash. _There's Maka Abarn, I think, Ruby Rose, Shinoa from Seraph Of The End and whoever this girl is! What the heck?! Are swords just that much cooler so guys have to-_ "UGH?!"

I staggered back from a wide slash, and she tabbed me with a mini spike on the scythe.

"HAH!" She threw me, and into a tree.

I groaned. "Ow... Whip Slash!" I swung, and she stopped the attack with her finger. "Well, that's a first."

"You're disappointing." She slashed, and I just ducked underneath, rolling away.

"I heard that you survived Zulf and his ability to stop time, like me, so I got excited to see how you fought.

"But you are nothing!"

I grunted, releasing a shockwave from my sword she slashed apart. "Damn!" I raised my blade to block, as the curved segment of the scythe scratched my face. "Ow!" I leapt away as she reared back to swipe.

"Fooled you." Rose was behind me.

"Ugh...!" I slowed time, deflecting her attack. _She's really tough... and also a cannibal. That's a messed up._

 _Oh yeah. Add Stella Glow's Hilda to the mix too. What kind of-FUDGE-DOODLES AND POPSICLES!_

She slashed again, and I slid away.

 _Huh... if her name is Rose... I wonder if she's a reference to our scythe-wielding protagonist of RWBY..._ I felt my instincts scream at me, and I dodged an otherwise fatal slash across my throat.

"Heh heh heh... Crescent Eclipse."

She leapt high in the air, and I staggered suddenly, holding a hand to my chest out of reflex.

My hand came away, blood in the shape of a crescent moon.

"What are you?" I grunted, wiping my hand on my shorts.

"You would call me a cannibal." She licked her lips. "A human who's gonna kill you!"

I felt my eyes widen as she lunged, and I just nullified a strike. "RRGH...?!" _Her speed just...! Did she slow time, too?!_

A foot came to the side and slammed me into a tree. "Ugh...!"

"This is no fun." Rose stared at me. "Zulf said you were strong. How is that?"

I groaned. "You're... a human...? Are you an Outsider?"

"Sure, if you wanna call me that. Words mean nothing when you're dead, anyway."

"Shit," I muttered. _Time's still slowed down, but I can't..._

"I'm gonna end this." Rose laughed as a demonic aura surrounded her. "This is my Soul Trigger."

She appeared blood-soaked, and wings sprouted, before she looked like Death, with her cloak's hood over her eyes.

"Joy..." I grunted, as I utilized my own Soul Trigger.

"RAWR!" she screamed, lunging at me with a smile.

I let out an apprehensive grunt, as the weapons met. She's...! I gasped, staggering back as the curved segment of the scythe stretched out to cut me. "Ugh?!"

"Heh heh heh... I usually don't use Arts," she laughed. "But that should make things fun..."

"Huh... so life is some kind of game to you, huh?" I winced, straightening. _Can't judge... right now I see it the same way, kinda..._ "Huh...!" I flew up from her slash, and sensed a cross-shaped projectile flying at me. "Geh!" I used Aura Wave to counter.

Rose smiled. "Crescent Eclipse." She leapt after me, and I used Defensive Reversal to negate her Art.

Wings sprouted from her back.

"Stab Strike!" I shouted, as she used her hand to stop my attack. "OH C'MON! GUH!" I flinched as she impaled my abdomen, before stabbing me to a tree.

"All too easy." She slashed across my face with her weapon.

"Huh...!" I rolled from another slash. "Ugh..." I let out a painful breath. "Ow... that hurts." An aura condensed around my sword. "Aura Slash."

Her eyes widened as she swung her scythe, and she gasped as I overpowered her.

"RAH!" I lunged. "Stab Wave!"

She gasped as I stabbed her, unleashing the lethal shockwave.

She was blasted back, and soon stood, bleeding vaguely from the wound.

"Fudge-doodles and popsicles," I muttered. I felt my form flicker. "Damn...!"

Rose stabbed through my face with her scythe.

I collapsed on my back as everything in my ear screamed, rushing back to normal.

She took her weapon out as she too reverted to normal. "That got exciting at the end, though... Andrew."

I stared at her as feeling in my arms vanished.

 _What have I been living for?_ I wondered. _For my friends... for living's sake... for pursuit of knowledge... what have I been living for?_

I closed my eyes, still able to sense her scythe ready to stab me again.

"DIE!" She plunged her scythe in my face.

I felt too weak to even protest in any way.

"DIE!" Her eyes grew more crazed as she continued.

 _What I've been living for..._ Rational thought also felt impossible as she continued to stab me. _I don't know what it is yet... but..._

 _It is not dying to yet another female character using a scythe._

She was blasted away. "AH!" She screamed. "What...?!"

I stood as energy suddenly flooded my body, wiping blood away from my eyes.

 _That feeling... and not We The King's song..._ I looked behind me. _When Zulf beat me up again..._

A red, translucent demon flickered into existence, with a massive sword in its right hand.

I stared at her. "That's... Jake's Soul Trigger..." she breathed, staring.

"Huff... RAWR!" I used my own personal Soul Trigger as well, and slashed.

The ghost demon swung, and she dodged to see me move at her. "Ah..."

"Cross Slash!" I crossed her, before bending the will of the ghost demon to my own, slashing her.

She collapsed, as the ghost demon had nearly cut her in two.

I panted, falling to my knees as I felt my very existence itself flicker. "UGH...!" I coughed up blood as everything once again reverted to normal. "Huff..."

"Curse you... for... winning...!"

I groaned as I stood up straight. "Huff..." I walked over, holding my sword in a way to stab down. "It's time I end this."

"Then do it."

I stared. "Huff..."

"Hmph..." She threw up blood. "Not... sure... to kill me... 'cause I'm a girl...?"

I shook from exhaustion. "Yeah... I guess that's... that's... right..."

 _The Soul Trigger... if it's as Zulf says... where does her Soul Trigger and Jake's go...?_

She slashed me with her scythe, and I flinched back with a painful wince.

"THEN KILL ME, OUTSIDER!" she screamed.

I sensed wildlife starting to gather around, as I walked back to her.

I closed my eyes with a breath, before opening them.

"Goodbye." With one last stroke of my blade I cut across her throat.

There was a loud gurgling sound as she finally died.

I slowly walked off with a wince of pain.

 _What is happening to me...? Am I a monster?_

 _WHAT KIND OF MONSTER AM I?!_

...

"Andrew! How are you so bloody?" asked Shulk.

"You don't have to know," I replied, tired. "And please don't pester me, I am tired and..." I wiped more blood from my face. "I really want Sharla to heal me."

She sighed as she got out some cloth and shot healing ammo into me. "As a medic, may I ask how you got into a fight that has you injured so seriously?"

"Later," I replied with a yawn. "Please... I just... wanna relax for a second before we go."

"I will hold you to that promise," she warned, passing me the cloth. "And don't make this a regular occurrence."

"I'll try not to." I wiped al the blood from my face. "Melia... she's coming with us, isn't she?"

"How'd you know?" wondered the blonde.

"Through the powers of guessing," I replied. "On a slightly more serious note... I'll tell you the next time we make camp." Which is probably gonna be in Sword Valley... I feel so tired... "Ugh..."

"Here." Sharla shot an energy-boosting round into me. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." I stood, with a now very bloody cloth in my grasp the sniper took back. "Wait... where's everyone?"

"Oh, yeah. We gotta head to this place where Alvis is waiting with everyone," answered Shulk. "So let's head there. He's gonna help us get to Valek Mountain," he added.

Sharla followed him as he started, and I walked after the both of them.

 _Those two have gotten very accepting,_ I thought, chasing after them.

...

"Ow..." I walked out. "Back in Makna Forest again, huh...?"

"Yeah... huh?" Shulk gasped. "GET DOWN, EVERYONE!"

He tackled me, and the two of us were cut anyway by the talons of a certain, massive mind-reading bird that loved to screw us al up.

"DINOBEAST!" exclaimed Riki, bouncing back and forth as he equipped his Biter.

"A Telethia..." mused Alvis. "This is interesting... and a bit unexpected."

Shulk winced as he stood. "Ow..." He unleashed the Monado.

Seeing the beam, I felt weaker by the Ether pulsing outwards.

"There's nothing to do... but fight it!" yelled Dunban, drawing his own sword.

In that instant, the Telethia let loose a beam of pure Ether, and I gasped as I was sent flying from the attack.

"How's it so fast?!" gasped Shulk. "It... ANDREW!"

I gasped as I hit a bridge. "Ugh...!" It got ever so closer, and I felt myself weaken even more. "I..."

"Monado Purge!" shouted Shulk, the Art striking the beast.

However, it wasn't enough.

The Telethia destroyed the foundation on one side of the bridge, and the bridge itself collapsed.

I was sent falling to the fast flowing river down below, too weak to use anything that could prevent my fall, or even slow me down.

As soon as I hit the water like a sharp impact, everything appeared black to myself.

 **Fun fact: This fanfic started with Chuggaaconroy being in Xenoblade.**

 **It was swiftly changed when I fully realized I didn't know about his reactions about most of the game.**

 **Anyways... thank it all so much for taking time to read this piece of work! Always nice to know that there's people out there who'll read even this piece... that dulls in comparison to (likely) thousands of superior works.**

 **Thank you all once more, and have a good one!**


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"UGH!" I spat out water, swimming, jolted awake by the sudden impact and the cold. "Damn...!"

"Argh!" shouted Shulk. A thud from above and a clang as something clashed with something else.

 _I can't fly... or morph, or anything..._ I thought.

"MIND BLAST!" screamed a voice. A screech followed afterwards, and a cry of pain, that sounded distinctly human.

"Melia!" yelled Dunban, before I sensed something being ripped out of his chest. "ARAGAGHAHERGH-"

The following sound was if someone was capable of throwing up an entire gut.

I gasped, struggling to keep afloat in the fast-moving water. _What in the hell is-_

"Dundun!" shouted Riki. "That not good."

"Ugh...!" gasped Shulk. "Everyone, we..." He paused. "Oh, no. There's nowhere to go... RRGH! PURGE!"

"Head Shot!" declared a certain sniper, and she let out a harsh grunt. "Heal Rou-" A loud gasp. "NO! Why... does it have to overheat now?!"

 _They're losing... but I can't help them!_ I stared up the cliff face.

"GWAH!" Shulk let out a scream and he slammed into a rock. "UGH!"

Dunban's ragged breathing rang out despite all the other sounds. "Geh..."

"Summon Aqua!" shouted Melia. "Dunban, are you al..." The words died in her throat. "Ah..."

"YOU CAN DO IT!" yelled Riki.

"Light Heal!" shouted Shulk. "Dunban, you're going to be fine!" He grunted as he blocked an attack. "Ugh..."

Sharla let out a grunt. "There...!" The loud sound of a rifle shot, and the heavy gasps of pain faded away.

I blinked. _Wait... where's Alvis?_

"Well?" He was behind me, standing atop a rock. "Are you going to help them?"

"Like I can," I replied. "I can't fly or do anything. The Ether flowing around up there is too much."

"So you would give up because you believe you can't do anything."

"Yeah. I can't even get out of this damn river!" I spat. "It's like, over 4 metres deep!"

"Well, Outsider..." He breathed out. "The start to your powers is to believe there is merit to them."

"Oh yeah, sure there is."

"UGH!" yelled Shulk, slamming through a rock. "Hah... hah... SMASH!"

"Do you wish to see your friends?" he spoke. "Helping them will aid you in that journey."

"Yeah, I want to help them, BUT THERE'S NO GODDAMN WAY I CAN!" I roared.

"SO SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO TO SLEEP ONE NIGHT AND WAKE UP IN A WORLD YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN BEFORE, HAVING TO FIGHT FOR YOUR VERY SURVIVAL EVERY SINGLE DAY!" A growl etched itself on my face.

"OR WHAT IT'S LIKE TO ALMOST BE DEAD AND THINK TO YOURSELF THAT YOU'RE NEVER SEEING THEM AGAIN!"

I panted. "Hah... so just... leave me alone. I bet they can handle it without me anyway."

"Andrew!" panted Shulk. "Are you alright down there? And Alvis, can you give us a h-WHOA!" He used Stream Edge to just nullify an attack. "Ugh...!"

"I'm fine." I sighed. "I just..." Any strength I had left in me wore away. "I'm just done."

Alvis, silent, was gone, and the Telethia screeched as he presumably slashed it.

I groaned, closing my eyes, keeping afloat.

 _Why did I enter Xenoblade anyway?_ I sighed. _What caused it... and what was the purpose?_

A shout from above and I looked up, seeing Dunban nearly struggle off the cliff.

"RAH!" he roared, slashing hard enough to tear off the entire front limb of the beast, which reared back and howled in surprised pain.

"Hah... Air Slash!" shouted Shulk, and the green aura of Jump surrounded his shoes as he leapt in the air. "STREAM EDGE!"

"Manifest yourself!" declared Melia, and a bolt of lightning anchored the fearsome Telethia to the ground. "Huff... go, Riki!"

"LURGY!" shouted the Heropon, and the helpless monster roared loudly. "Grr... HERO TIME!"

I stared as I sensed them all beat up on the foe, when it regrew its limb and tore out the bolt.

It flew up, out of range of most attacks.

Then it fixed its beady eye on me, and screeched as it lunged with alarming speed.

I could only stare.

"No!" grunted Shulk, though he flinched as the Jump Art wore off. "Ah..."

The Telethia flew down, and lunged once it was parallel with the water.

"Ah... Summon..." Melia faltered. "It can't..."

"Rrgh...!" Shulk gasped as his eyes pulsed blue. "No... NO, THAT IS NOT HAPPENING!" He leapt off the cliff. "Speed!" he shouted.

The Telethia seemed to smile as it opened its mouth to swallow me whole.

I grunted. _Guess this is it, huh?_

Shulk growled as he fell, not fast enough. "Ugh...! Speed 2!"

 _Gonna be eaten by a bird... great._

It rushed by, and pain rang out through me as it took me to the air, my body within its mouth.

Something cracked in me, and I yelled out.

 _Never... seeing my friends again._

I glared, finally drawing my sword. "You..." With Stab Strike I plunged my blade into its eye.

The Telethia's other eye widened as it roared with pain, yet refusing to drop me.

"Andrew! You can do it!" yelled Shulk, stabbing the Monado into the cliff face to watch. "Ugh... Melia! Get the Telethia!"

"Ah... right! Mind Blast!" she shouted, the bath of Ether missing me by an inch, striking the Telethia.

The Telethia clawed me, and the pain flashed through me.

The pain made me feel angry, but I was incapable of tearing out my sword.

The Telethia's remaining eye seemed to shine with triumph and victory as its claw sunk into my stomach.

"UGH...!" I gasped out, spitting out blood.

"We... we have to help him somehow!" shouted Dunban.

"I can't... it's too fast," cursed Sharla. "And... its flight pattern is unpredictable... I can't shoot it."

"If... hah... if Sharla's shots cannot get it... there cannot be anything I could do... ah! Summon Aqua!" she declared. "This... shall hopefully aid him, even if just a little..."

"There's... nothing we can do?!" exclaimed Shulk, using Speed to get up the cliff.

"Shulk..." Despite the wind rushing through my ears, I heard Dunban's grave voice. "If you use the Monado to try and help Shulk... you risk hurting him too."

Shulk gritted his teeth. "But... there has to be something..."

"Trust him. Andrew... he can do this."

I was so distracted I didn't notice that the Telethia had impaled me on a spike against another nearby cliff until the pain flashed through me.

"GUH!" I felt myself black out from the pain, which then woke me up again as the Telethia impaled me on another spike. "Ugh!"

"No! I..." Sharla raised her rifle, though slowly lowered it again as realization passed through her. "I... can't even heal him... because it would heal the Telethia if I miss..."

The Telethia then dropped me in the air, and let me slam into the cold water of the river below.

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk. "Hold on, I'm AGH!" He was thrown back by the Telethia slamming a claw down, releasing a shockwave that forced every party member to the ground.

"Ugh!" yelled Dunban, his sword flashing by to cut his left arm.

I stared, and the Telethia lunged for me again, breaking something in my left arm as it roughly grabbed the limb by the beak. "Ugh...!"

The monster flew skywards, and then moved over the ground, before spiralling downwards to copy Charizard's Seismic Toss move.

I felt a growl on my face again. _I will not die..._

 _Not until I see all of my friends again... and go back home._

The ghost demon manifested just before the Telethia slammed me into the ground.

Dust blew up as a familiar, warm, sticky liquid splashed on my body.

"Andrew?" I heard someone speak out. "Are you..." A quiet gulp, and an apprehensive feeling spread through the air.

The dust cleared, and the Telethia's other eye finally rolled back.

"Hah..." I panted, groaning with the effort to rise with just my right arm.

A dying croak sounded from the Telethia now cut cleanly in two, guts starting to spill out.

I wheezed, using my foot for leverage to help me take the sword out of the eye. "Hah..." I wiped blood away from the metal, and slung it over my back as the ghost demon faded away into the air.

I then fell over as the exhaustion overwhelmed me, on my back. My sword almost pierced me, though I managed to avoid further injury.

"Ugh," I winced at the pain. "Sorry, guys. I feel too tired to move..."

Sharla shot a healing round into me, sighing. "Well... we're all tired... and it is already late afternoon... so how about resting here tonight?"

"Next to Dinobeast?" questioned Riki.

I closed my eyes with a groan. "Whatever... I just..." I yawned, and everyone else but Alvis yawned as well. "Ugh..."

"Well... we're not gonna be able to go too far with the injuries we have right now, so let's rest up here tonight and continue tomorrow, guys!" spoke Shulk.

With that, I let myself relax.

Though sleep usually came with some effort, slipping into sleep this time was instantaneous.

 **Thank you all for reading!**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"Andrew."

I opened my eyes in the night, to see Shulk sitting near a campfire in the middle of the small camp everyone had made.

"You always recover fast," he noted. "Huh... anyway... do you mind if we do some talking?"

I groaned, managing to rise. "Ow... yeah, sure." I set my sword on the ground as I sat beside him. "So... what about?"

"A ton, but... let's start with how you knew Melia was coming with us."

"Uh..." I paused. "Did Alvis give you even a hint that I might know stuff?"

"Well... sort of," he replied.

"Like... really important stuff?" I paused. "Huh... did I ever tell you that?"

"Tell me what?"

"Alright..." I breathed out. "Where to start... huh... let's start with this.

"I knew Fiora was going to die."

He stared at me. "What?!"

"Uh... I knew that Fiora was going to die," I repeated.

Shulk blinked. "Are you saying... you knew Fiora was going to die?"

 _Uh-oh._ I felt a disguised hatred rip out of him. "Don't freak out."

A growl came out of him. "You knew... and did nothing."

"I tried," I spoke, keeping my voice even. "You could see that."

He looked at me. "Yeah... I did. You tried, and so did Dunban and Reyn..." His brow furrowed.

"If you knew Fiora died..." A sigh and some of his anger swept away. "Did you know Reyn was gonna die too?"

"No. I had no knowledge of that fact," I spoke.

He looked at the sky. "OK... how did you know, then... about Fiora?"

"Alright... prepare yourself. This is going to get pretty damn crazy and unbelievable."

"Hey..." He gestured towards the environment. "There's probably, like, a massive lizard just waiting to eat us or something.

"And I can see the future, thanks to the Monado."

He paused, thinking. "Plus... that other form you assume."

"Yeah? Well, to you, this may be more unbelievable then all of those other things combined."

"Hit me."

I let out a sigh, looking upwards. "Your whole adventure... where I'm from... it's in a really dense... package, alright?

"And... I... looked it over with the help of another person."

 _Huh. Come to think of it, I would probably not know about Xenoblade, and thus not be here, if Chuggaaconroy didn't do them videos._

 _CURSE YOU, MR. YOUTUBER WITH OVER 1 MILLION SUBS!_

I let out a breath. "Hunh."

"Wait... so you know how our adventure ends?" asked Shulk

Oh shit. Time to tread on very unsafe territory.

"Well... yeah. But it would be best if you didn't know."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't believe me and would maybe even try to kill me from painful truths you want to avoid."

"That... seems kinda overkill."

"Trust me, wielder of the Monado," I spoke. "As we go along, I will tell you what might just happen."

"So... info on a strict need-to-know basis?"

"Yeah, sure. And what I know might just be plain wrong..."

Shulk stood and stretched with a groan. "Because you're here, I bet."

I stared at him. "You are the densest person ever in one aspect, but stupid sharp in another."

 _If I think about it... the hell did Fiora see in him anyway?_ I wondered.

"Ha! Just like you!"

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Heh." He smiled. "Well... good we could talk like that."

Shulk closed his eyes. "I trust you to tell me the truth as we go along."

"Alright..."

He looked out towards the massive peaks. "We're going there, to Valek Mountain."

"Yeah..."

"Alright..." He yawned. "Do you mind taking over? If you want to."

"Sure." I adjusted my sword on my back.

He rose to start to walk away, when he paused.

"I do trust you, Andrew."

"Huh?"

He let out a long sigh. "Everyone here... they all trust you to help them out in the fights we have.

"So put some more trust in us too, hm?"

As I turned my head to look at him, he lay down near the rest of the group, getting out a sleeping bag from somewhere.

I looked at the flame.

"Trust, huh...?" I mused.

 _Is it a good idea to trust video game characters?_ I wondered.

 _They're..._

"Hmmmmm..."

 _Maybe,_ I thought to myself. _I guess..._

 _And if I beat this game and that somehow gets met out, I'll never see them again... maybe?_

I felt myself frown. _That is optimistic of me. Surviving? What a joke._

 _When I'm in a world with massive machines and animals that are ready to kill me and all I have is this sword... seems ridiculous, actually._

I felt my frown vanish for a moment. _Sounds like Final Fantasy actually..._

I shook my head. "Uh... anyways...

"Trust, hm...?"

 _These people are not my friends. Trust is fine, but..._

 _Friends would be putting it too far._

I shook my head and laughed.

 _I miss being young,_ I thought. _I mean, if I trust the Xenoblade wiki, I'm still younger then all of them, but I feel old..._

 _Stressful when you live in constant fear of life, knowing that a certain swordsman swears that I will be dead._

A cold shiver ran down my spine. _Zulf..._

I swallowed, feeling the stiffness, and for a moment I saw and felt the blood, the pain, the edge of metal inside my face.

I let out a long breath.

 _What if they saw me like this?_

I laughed aloud, feeling myself smile.

"Keeping my powers in the real world... that'd be pretty cool," I spoke.

"I think...? Yeah, probably."

I let out a long sigh.

"I'm tired of fighting," I murmured. "It... was fun, still is fun, but..."

 _I don't want to die._

"Heh... ha ha ha..." I laughed once more.

A slight smile settled onto my face.

"And it always hurts... wondering if I'll survive the next stab or slash... exhausting, too..."

I frowned. _Why am I talking to myself? What is wrong with me?_

 _Wish I could talk to someone... one of them..._

I closed my eyes and saw them in my mind. Playful smiles and laughter stood out in my mind.

I smiled again.

"So that's what I'm fighting for, huh...?"

I let my sword down from my back and focused on the world around me.

I sensed the sound whisper of the wind brush past violent, shaking leaves.

I felt the slight whine of some kind of large lion against its mate.

And the loud, distant footsteps of a dinosaur.

I opened my eyes.

"Bionis is much nicer then the real world.

"And yet I'm gonna fight it one of these days..."


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

 **(Sips non-existent coffee.)**

 **(Notices and grabs can of Mountain Dew.)**

 **One day I'll finish this fanfiction.**

"So this... is Valek Mountain," breathed Shulk.

"It very pretty!" chirped a certain cute Nopon. "Grr... Riki hate cold, though!"

I looked around. The lights shining through the night seemed to glimmer and shine.

"It is really cold," mused Sharla.

"Is it?" I asked aloud. "It doesn't really feel like it."

She stared at me. "How are you saying that? You're wearing shorts!"

 _And you're wearing kinda revealing clothing, so I think we're in the same boat here,_ I thought.

"Well, it is quite chilly." Shulk looked at his feet. "And this snow will get everywhere."

Alvis moved forward. "It is to be expected," he spoke. "The climate is as different to your homes as it gets. It only snows this high up on the Bionis."

 _Let me tell you... where I'm from... if it's snowing, Canada's way colder then this,_ I thought. This is _actually quite mild._

Shulk let out a soft grunt. "Alright... so... how do we get through?"

"There will be a solid wall of ice, roughly... 10 metres thick, I believe?"

I stared at Alvis. "How even...?" _And a small rock is supposed to melt that?_

"Oh... uh... wow." Shulk swallowed. "So... could I use the Monado?"

"It is also at absolute zero, so do not touch it."

 _THIS SOUNDS LIKE BULLSHI-_

"So... fortunately, there is a certain, special rock within Valek Mountain that can melt this wall."

"Wait... Alvis. How do you know this?" spoke Dunban.

 _Because sure... we totally don't want the knowledge of how a small rock can melt a GODDAMN ICE WALL TEN METRES THICK!_ I thought. _NO! IT'S FINE! FIRST WE SHOULD ASK HOW HE KNOWS! THAT'S WAY MORE IMPORTANT!_

I let out a long sigh.

Alvis gave a wry smile.

"Well... the rock is quite a whiles into the snow, so I suggest we travel while we can."

He started doff, and Shulk followed him.

"Alvis..." mused Dunban, pausing.

"Is something wrong, Dunban?" spoke Sharla.

"Well... no. But I do want to keep a close eye on Alvis. Something about him seems off..."

...

Shulk took the wrapper off of a sandwich and took a bite, though where there should have been toothmarks was nothing at all.

"What kind of sandwich is that, Shulk?" I asked.

He turned and swallowed his mouthful. "Fiora made it." He closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I... dunno. It's just, uh... whenever I take a bite out of it, it looks like I never took that bite. But I do have a mouthful in my mouth, so..."

"Could it be due to Ether doing weird mutations or some crap?" I wondered.

"Eh. Whatever it is, it's convenient." Shulk wrapped the sandwich up again. "And Fiora's last meal to me."

 _For now,_ I thought. _Though... hm... can she cook as a robot?_

 _I might just find out..._

...

"Hey... there's a cave there." Shulk started to walk inside. "Whoa... it's way warmer in here..."

Sharla entered behind him with a pause. "Hm... wait."

We all stopped. "What is it, Sharla?" spoke Dunban.

"This surge of heat..." She narrowed her eyes, for them to widen a moment later. "Oh no."

Alvis walked forward. "Here is the location of the Magma Rock."

Then there was an explosion of heat.

"UGH!" I gasped, being thrown into the snow. "Ow... huh?"

What could only be defined as a fiery phoenix was flying, screeching at me.

"That is really bad." I rose and dodged a blast of flame. "Hey... Shulk! Where..."

The cave entrance had collapsed, leaving rubble at the front.

"They're on the other side!" grunted Dunban, standing as he drew his sword.

"Riki ready to fight!" he declared.

I looked around. "Wait... I saw Shulk, Sharla and Alvis walked forward... so... where's Melia?" I let out a grunt as I dodged a tackle. "Geez..."

"I have her."

A deep voice came out through the snow.

I let out a sharp grunt, raising my palm to nullify a punch.

"RARGH!"

An explosion of our energy radiated from the hand I blocked.

"UGH!" I slammed against a rock, hidden in the snow. "Damn..."

"Andrew!" called Riki, looking at me.

"Riki, stay focused!" shouted Dunban, blocking as the phoenix tackled him. "GEH...!" He slid away.

The man dropped the princess and raised a foot to stomp on her unconscious form. "Now she's dead."

I rushed forward and slashed, making him stagger.

"Sorry... but that's not gonna fly by me," I spoke.

"Good. I love a fight." Greaves formed from somewhere, as did gauntlets. "My policy is to tell my name before a fight, so... I'm Tyler."

"Yay. Andrew." I paused. "Is there any way we could settle this without a fight?"

"Oh...? I was told you like a good fight as well." Tyler settled into a fighting stance.

"Unless you want me to kill them, you will have to fight me."

"Shit," I muttered, before I shook my head. "Worth a shot." I lunged with a stab.

The fighter got down into a slide, rising to deliver a punch to the gut. "Too easy..."

I let out a growl as I slid back, raising my left arm to catch the Nopon flying at me, lightly toasted.

"Hah-RAH!" Tyler came forward with a powerful side kick, and I raised my sword, staggering. "Slow!"

 _He's...!_ I threw Riki aside and rolled from his punch, before attacking with my blade. "Stab Strike!"

"Power Drill!" The enemy countered, and as we clashed a few times more, he swept my legs from under me before using a roundhouse kick.

"Gah!" I dropped my blade as I slid away. "Oh, great."

Tyler grabbed it in the air and stabbed it into the ground. "Alright... let's go."

I sighed, settling into my own fighting stance. "Man... been forever since I've had to use Taekwondo..."

As he punched I slipped by to his right and lightly grabbed his wrist with my left hand, placing both thumbs on his knuckles before forcing him to the ground with a quick and powerful jerk.

"Geh!" He rolled back to his feet. "Hm... so you are more than just a swordsman."

"I would hope so," I muttered. "Otherwise my parents wasted money for all those lessons over the last... oh, eight years or something?" I shrugged before settling into a ready stance, sensing my sword being hidden by the blizzard. "C'mon."

A smile came onto both our faces. He raced forward with a straight punch. I moved just enough so the cold wind rushed by, before I used a roundhouse kick to spin into a tornado kick.

"Geh!" Tyler groaned, sliding along the snow. He held a hand to his side, rising back to his feet. "Ugh..."

I grabbed my sword and grinned. "Man... that was great. But I'm gonna end this."

"RARGH!" My enemy howled, and I saw him change, his skin glowing as it blackened. "Try..."

 _His Soul form!_ I grunted, holding my blade in Defensive Reversal, gasping as a punch cracked some ribs. "Nuh!" I recovered and raised my sword, staggering from another punch. "Damn!"

 _It's the same as mine!_ I thought. _It raises offensive power!_

"I WILL SEND YOU TO YOUR GRAVE!"

 _How come that sounds like Street Fighter or some- JESUS!_ I gasped, using my Soul Trigger as another punch, radiant with energy, burst through my stomach.

I threw up blood on the white snow. "UGH..."

"HYAH!" Tyler threw me away. "IT'S OVER!"

I blocked the fist with my free left hand.

"STAB WAVE!" I let out a roar as I thrust my blade into his body, the shockwave burning his own stomach away.

"GWURGH!" Tyler staggered away and coughed up blood.

I growled. _I have to kill him!_ "RARGH!" I slowed time and slashed, a clean slash across the throat.

Tyler slowed time as well and raised his left arm to nullify the slash. "Not... so fast..." He smiled. "Fun... ain't over yet."

 _Crap!_ I thought, as his right hand came forward and forced me away. "Gah!"

"Speed Drive!" He lunged and with blazing speed, delivered a solid blow to the leg, forcing it out of place.

"Geh!" I flew up, and with a quick jerk and some pain, forced my leg back into place. "Wait..." _Behind me?!_

I turned my head to see wings sprout from his back.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" he yelled, rushing forth. "RARGH! EXPLOSIVE ABYSS!"

I grunted, spinning around. "AURA SLASH!"

He overpowered me and I hit the ground, breaking the wings.

At the same time, time returned to normal.

"Shit!" I growled, starting to rise. "UGH...!" I fell to one knee as pain flared through me. "Dammit...!"

Tyler landed and panted. "So you're not done yet...?! Geh!" He flinched, and I sensed the pain from the earlier Stab Wave.

I also sensed the flow of Ether particles around his body return to a more neutral state.

"GWAH!" Dunban slammed into me. "Damn... Andrew, are you-"

"I'll be there in a little," I spoke. "I hope, anyway."

Tyler growled. "Full Destruction Mode, activate!"

I grunted, seeing the sudden concentration of power around him. "Dunban, go back! Is the phoenix..."

I sensed Riki atop of it, riding it.

"Actually... it would appear Riki has tamed it." Dunban grunted.

"Wow... wasn't expecting that," I muttered.

"Do you need help?"

"No. You guys get over there. I'll finish this." I nodded to the Homs, who nodded.

"Done talking?" Tyler cracked his knuckles as the gauntlets formed again. "THEN DIE!"

I grunted. _He's not any faster..._ I dodged, and my sword met a fist. "GAH?!"

 _His strength... so much more...!_ I let out a harsh grunt and slid away, using Jake's Soul Trigger, the Soul Demon.

"UGH!" I flinched at the sudden pain, though breathed out as it wore away. "Come at me."

"As you wish!" Tyler lunged. "POWER DRILL!"

It met the ghostly sword, and I strained against him. "RARGH!" I howled, managing to overpower and cut him.

"Guh!" He then took a few swift strikes and the large blade impaled a lung. "Damn...!"

"Hah!" I moved in and slashed him away with the sword I held in one hand.

"UGH!" He spat out blood. "Huh... not bad."

I stared at him. "How the... your breathing isn't... wait, you're not even breathing!"

"It's comes from the Soul Trigger." Tyler smirked.

 _And he's still talking..._ I stopped my breathing, and no pressing need for oxygen came to me. "Huh."

"Anyway... at this rate, you'll kill me, so... here I go." He let out a shout, punching the ground.

I sensed the phoenix vanishing, Riki's shocked gasp of pain coming afterwards as he fell.

The snow melted as the temperature rose drastically around my foe, and faint remnants of rising fire surrounded him.

"Fire Destruction Phoenix Mode!" grinned Tyler.

 _Gee, doesn't this remind me of a certain destructive fire mage a dragon raised,_ I thought. _Nah. Didn't think that at all._

"Wait... the phoenix...?" I muttered. "Wha...?"

"I'm the phoenix," he spoke. "An... ahem... Outsider... with the power of a phoenix engraved within him."

 _No, this TOTALLY doesn't sound like Natsu,_ I thought. _Or his Fire Dragon King Mode. That's crazy._

"FIRE DRILL!" he roared.

"WHOA!" I used Defensive Reversal, and the Soul Demon blocked.

I slid away with a grunt, sensing him behind me.

 _Why do people keep attacking me from behind?!_ I thought as I whirled around and used the Soul Demon to clash against the punch that came forward.

"Geh!" I staggered, and he rushed up close. "Oh, CRAP!" My voice rose higher as he punched me in the spot where my now destroyed stomach was.

"Eat this." He ground his fist in. "FIRE FIST!"

A sudden burst of intensive flame came out as he suddenly gave his punch a lot more force and energy.

I hit the ground, the Demon fading as my hand flickered from my Soul form, before I fully reverted.

"Ugh..." I groaned, the pain searing through me.

Tyler walked forward. "Yeah! New record!" he grinned. "84.56309 feet!" I saw him completely in his normal form.

I rolled over on my stomach, wanting to throw up from the pain. "Ugh..." I panted as I pulled my body off the ground and stood.

"You're not dead?!" Tyler stared. "Dude... I burned a part of your gut, and..."

I fell to a knee, feeling the world spin around. "Unh..."

"But it looks like you're done now." He swayed. "Ugh... damn, that's exhausting... but I'll kill you now."

"Why...?" I wheezed.

"Hm?"

"Why... do you want to kill me?" I rasped.

Tyler shrugged. "Huh... good question. See, there's... hm..." He paused. "I just have this overwhelming desire to at least see you unmoving in the snow..." A long pause. "Huh... maybe... Zulf would..." He gave another shrug.

"Eh. Doesn't matter. Doesn't change the fact you're dead, either by me or blood loss."

I winced at my pain, though couldn't feel any more sticky blood flow onto my clothes.

"Wait... that burn... damn, it kinda stopped the blood flow," he muttered. "Well, I'll end this, then. Full Destructive Mode!" he declared, and I sensed his aura of power return.

He started to punch me.

After several dozen blows he paused to unleash one last punch.

I fell on the snow.

"Is that it?" spoke Tyler. "Well... guess so. Now you get to die."

"Never..." I growled, heaving myself to my feet.

"Huh...?" He grinned. "Nice. Come at me!" He lunged with a punch.

I slid away from the impact, and I breathed out a long, painful grunt.

"COME ON!" Tyler moved forward. "Speed Lunge!"

I raised my sword, sliding away as my blade absorbed the impact.

"RRGH... DIE ALREADY!" Tyler rushed, using his Soul Trigger.

I closed my eyes, and let out a breath.

It was painless.

"Stab Strike."

He gasped as I pierced a vein and artery at the same time. "NNGH...!"

I tore out my sword as I twisted it, using the Soul Trigger. "Whip Slash."

Tyler raised both arms and blocked, sliding away. "Huh...! Power Drill!"

"Cross Slash!" I let out a breath and we met, before his fists met my blade a few times. "Hah...!" I kicked and we met, the soles of our feet clashing. "Tch!" I growled, as the energy rushing through the foot forced me away.

"I won't lose... I have too many people hoping for my return!" he shouted.

"Me too," I spoke. "I have friends waiting for me, too.

"I apologize in advance for the fate I am going to have to give you."

"Yeah... me too." Fire flared up. "Because you're the one who's dying."

The Soul Demon materialized. "Yeah... no."

"Fire Drill!" Tyler came forward.

"Soul Stab Strike!" We crossed upon clashing, and spun around for another clash.

He rolled from the ghostly blade. "Geh...!"

I sensed him manipulating the Ether particles around him and slowed time myself as his fist met the Soul Demon's sword once more.

"That Demon...!" growled Tyler. "Damn me if it isn't annoying!"

"Soul Whip Slash!" I declared, and he blocked, though I sensed the light cut he suffered despite his gauntlets' defence. "Yeah?!"

"Flaming Phoenix!" he roared, fire engulfing him as he lunged forward.

"Hah!" I used Defensive Reversal, and the Demon forced him away with ease.

"Gah!" He threw up blood as he arose again. "Gotta... end this...!"

I spat out excessive blood. "Yeah." A shockwave concentrated around my sword, making an aura materialize around the Soul Demon's sword.

Energy and pure fire engulfed the fist of the Outsider standing in front of me. "Die."

"One day I will." I readied myself.

"But today it's you that will perish."

"PHOENIX ABYSS!" Tyler let out a scream as a silhouette of a fiery phoenix burst behind him. "RARGH!"

"SOUL STAB WAVE!" I howled, charging forward.

Tyler growled, as did I, as we strained against each other.

"UGH!" He let out a gasp as he staggered, taking a deep cut from the Soul Demon.

The Demon faded, time reverted and I returned to normal.

As he staggered I sensed his power fade, the fire vanishing as the Ether around him neutralized.

"AURA SLASH!" I roared, cutting him.

Tyler's body fell into the snow as he groaned.

I panted, sensing the lack of strength in his body.

 _He can't stand anymore,_ I thought, sensing all the bleeding, the broken bones, the lack of a stomach and the life leaving his body.

 _These senses..._ I placed my blade on my back.

 _They let me know so much more about the hell I do to survive._

I threw up blood on the ground.

I sensed the gauntlets and greaves become small metallic rings.

"Hey..." He detached them from his body, tossing them in the snow. "Those rings adjust to your size, so wear them."

I adjusted the rings to fit me, and I grunted. "So... what?"

"Those are yours." Tyler sighed. "Use them well. To get the... stuff... to form... use the will of your mind..."

I nodded, looking down at him. "Why'd you give them to me?"

"Well... those are more useful to someone alive... then a dead guy..." A cough. "They punch through a ton of stuff... including... Mechon armour..." Tyler winced. "Actually... made of... old Mechon armour..."

He let out a low groan, closing his eyes. "Dammit... I'm... so sorry... Lily..."

Then he stopped breathing.

I sighed, closing my eyes. _He had someone waiting for him too._

 _How many families am I going to tear apart to go home myself?_

"Hey, Andrew!"

I grunted. "Oh... Sharla..."

She shot a healing bullet into my body. "What the hell..." She saw the body. "Another fight?"

I nodded, dragging myself through the snow. "How... did you guys... escape...?"

"There was an exit, after Shulk, Alvis and I fought through a bunch of monsters."

I closed my eyes. "Oh... yeah... I got... my... stomach... punched in..."

"I see that," she muttered. "We need to pause for a while and heal up, but here isn't-"

She stopped.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "Just... thought I saw something in the air."

I sensed something high above us, something... mechanical, I think?

"Oh, yeah... did you guys find the Magma Rock?" I asked.

"We did," spoke Sharla. "Shulk has it."

I sighed, dragging my body through the snow.

...

"Hey! Andrew!"

"Hi, Shulk," I mumbled, as Sharla pumped me full of healing Ether. "Thanks," I told her.

"Don't mention it," she replied.

"We should relax for a while. All of us sustained some pretty bad injuries," spoke Dunban.

"Yeah." Shulk paused. "What happened to you, Andrew?"

"I got my stomach punched in," I replied.

"Huh... looks pretty bad," he mused. "Light Heal."

"Thanks," I replied.

Sharla used Heal Round, quiet.

"Hm... there is a tower nearby," spoke Alvis. "Ose Tower. It is sheltered and will protect from the wildlife."

"We'd better go there then," spoke Shulk. "You guys able to do that?"

"Yeah," I replied, grunting as I waded through the snow.

Dunban carried Melia over his shoulder, and I couldn't help but smile.

...

"And the Monado gave you and I the ability to see the future?" asked Shulk.

"Indeed," replied Alvis.

I had zoned out, feeling Sharla shoot another Ether round into my body.

She had healed my stomach.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"Ether can do some pretty amazing things," she spoke.

"Yeah, guess so." I sat upright and sighed.

"Now... we should be leaving soon," mused the Seer. "There is still quite a bit of distance to cover, while it is light outside."

"Right." Shulk stood from where he had sat, looking at the Monado. "And everyone's healed up, right?"

"You Can Do It!" chirped the Nopon, removing any remaining injury. "There!"

"Alright. Let's go, then."

He stopped as we all started to exit, and a slight gasp escaped as he flinched.

"Shulk...?" I grunted.

"Oh no," he murmured. "Wow..."

I shook my head. _A vision, I guess... eh._

I sighed as I exited, leaving him alone.

...

"So... this is it, huh?" Shulk held the Magma Rock in one hand. "I just... hold it to the wall?"

"Yes," spoke Alvis.

"Alright... here goes." The blonde pressed the rock against the wall of pure ice, and within seconds the wall sizzled, melting into water that slid down the slope of the mountain. "It worked!"

"I wasn't expecting it to," admitted Sharla.

"OK, guys! Let's go! We're almost at the end of Valek Mountain!" declared Shulk, walking forward.

Face Nemesis dropped from the sky, forcing Shulk to stop.

The Faced Mechon folded out to reveal the robotic Fiora inside.

"Heir to the Monado..." Her eyes held a slight red glow to them.

"Fiora!" shouted Shulk, rushing forward. "It's you...!"

"Fiora..." Dunban stared. "It's..."

"You, heir to the Monado... I wish to speak with you," spoke the god within the Homs turned...

 _Would it be kinda Machina or something?_ I suddenly wondered.

"'Heir to the Monado...?' Fiora, don't you remember me?" Shulk stared at her. "Don't you remember...? It's me, Shulk!"

Fiora/Meyneth stared at him from within the Mechon. "Fiora... is that... my name?" Her eyes flickered. "Then you... know this body?"

Oh yeah, smart things for a goddess to say.

"So it's true." Shulk looked at the ground. "You really don't remember us at all..." He grit his teeth, swallowing.

"OK, fine. Fiora, if nothing else... remember your family!" Shulk stared at her. You should at least remember Dunban!" Shulk pointed to the older Homs behind him. "He's-"

"Family...? So there is family," mused Meyneth, before she looked at Shulk again.

"Wielder of the Monado... I have quite a pressing matter I wish to speak with you about."

The entire silver-coloured Mechon recoiled before being flung backwards.

"What?!" shouted Dunban. "What is..."

"FIORA!" screamed Shulk.

Another Faced Mechon descended to the ground, with quiet cackling. It landed near Fiora's Mechon.

"Metal Face!" spat Shulk, starting to move forward, a hand settling on the Monado.

I heard a quiet, small gasp from Melia behind me. "You... killed my father."

"Stay alert, everyone!" grunted Dunban.

"Hehehe..." Mumkhar's Mechon grinned, before pressing the claws of his totally not Mobile Suit against the throat of the now limp Fiora/Meyneth. "Don't move. Or she's dead."

Shulk growled, stopping.

"Now then... if you don't want your precious _Fiora_ torn to shreds... give up that dangerous little toy you have there, pipsqueak!" declared Metal Face.

An almost condescending look settled onto his Mechon face. "I could take it after smashing you all to a pulp... heh!" he laughed. "But we all wouldn't want that, now would we...?"

"What...?" Shulk closed his eyes. "Give up... the Monado... huh?"

"Do it!" Metal Face's claws pushed against the very organic throat of the female pilot, and I sensed a few drops of blood run from the slight injury. "Or she's dead."

"Shulk! Do not give the Monado to... to this... this...!" Melia struggled for the words she needed.

"Melia..." He sighed. "What can I do? If I don't give it to him... Fiora's dead. I... I'm sorry, guys, but I can't do that!" he cried out, eyes still closed.

He stabbed the sword in the ground and walked backwards.

"Damn... who the hell are you anyway?!" shouted Dunban.

"Well... I suppose I could at least show you that much." The chest of the Mechon opened, and Mumkhar leapt out.

Dunban took a step back as his eyes widened. "Mumkhar...?"

"Surprised, friend?" Mumkhar spat out the word. "Surprised... that this is me?" He grabbed the Monado, holding it over his shoulder.

Dunban stared. "You..."

"I can't tell you how badly I've wanted this sword!" groaned out Mumkhar. "Man... does this puny boy even know how to use it yet?" He came in for a close look at the blonde, who leaned away.

"What would you even do?" he wondered, picking Shulk up from off the ground. "Would you be willing to kill a Homs to beat us...?"

Shulk struggled against him.

"How DARE you ask that to us!" growled Dunban. "How could you betray us to Mechonis?!"

Mumkhar threw Shulk to the ground, who let out a grunt of discomfort.

"Why did you kill OUR friends at the colony?!" demanded the Homs. "WHY?!" He was just short of roaring.

"You really wanna know?" grinned Mumkhar. "Because it was your home."

"It "was"?" I grunted.

"Yes... now, no doubt, there are countless Mechon there, and without you there, the colony is toast," smirked Mumkhar.

"YOU PIECE OF...!" Dunban lunged, with a wide slash.

Mumkhar's Mechon smashed Fiora's against the rock wall.

"All of you, stay where you are," spoke Mumkhar. "That thing works by remote... so unless you'd like a nice, big, gaping hole in her neck..."

Dunban growled.

"So what's it to be, weak fools...? Grovel at my feet and beg?" He laughed. "Ah... but before you do that, I must say...

"Watching the sheer fear in the face of that Fiora and that... Emperor... let's just say I sleep better those two nights."

Melia screamed, and a wave of Ether rushed out at him. "WE WILL NOT BOW TO YOU!"

"Tch!" Mumkhar slid away through the snow, arms up in a defensive pose.

The Ether sent his Mechon slumping in the snow.

Shulk reached out for the Monado, and the beam came out.

"I have heard enough from you." Melia looked at the half-human, half-metal-things-that-could-make-him-half-robot-or-something.

"If it is the last thing I accomplish... it will be you gone from this world."

"Heh... hey, girl... just come out and say you want to see me dead at your feet!" grinned Metal Face, as shining claws rushed outwards.

"And Monado Boy... you want me dead for Fiora, when I killed her, eh?

"Well, come at me. I always do enjoy a good slaughter. It's been much too long since I let myself rampage." His claws flashed out.

 _Wait... he's covered in metal... and he did that with his claws..._ I narrowed my eyes. _He was Wolverine the whole time!_

"Sharla, Melia! Stay back and cover us!" yelled Shulk as he swung. "Guys, let's do this!"

"Hah!" Dunban struck, his sword rebounding. "Geh!"

I leapt over him and slashed, though the claws sank into my left arm. "Geh!" Through the pain I slashed at him, my blade bouncing off as I was forced back. "Ugh!"

"Enchant!" shouted Shulk, before evading a claw swipe. "Whoa...!"

"How'd I forget...?" I mumbled. "I can't hurt him without..." I looked at the weightless rings I now had on my person. "Ah..."

I dodged Dunban being thrown at me. I sensed Riki tending to him.

Then the claws were upon me.

I let out a grunt as I met the claws, feeling my blocks coming later each time due to the presence of two claws versus one sword.

"Hah!" Mumkhar smiled as we clashed a few times, his claws grazing my left forearm. "Too slow, Red Coat!"

I sensed the claws moving at my left arm again, and the ring shifted into a gauntlet to block the attack.

"Hm...?" He grunted, moving back, though the Whip Slash I used still managed a slight cut. "Something else, huh...? Use that left arm for something now, hm...?"

I willed the gauntlet away. "Shulk! We'll never get anywhere if we don't get serious."

"Yeah." Shulk wiped his mouth. "Speed!"

I sensed Dunban at my shoulder, sensing a wide gash almost separating his left arm from his body. "Hey... Andrew..."

"You good?" I asked, watching the opponent. "It's pretty bad if you lose that arm, by the way."

"I know." Dunban grimaced. " But I should... ugh... be fine. But it's you and Shulk for this one." He sighed. "Make sure to give Mumkhar a good beating for me, alright?"

I sensed the quiet anger inside of him, and I nodded.

"Got it." I used the Soul Demon and moved forward, slashing downwards. "Rah!"

Mumkhar negated the slash and rushed at me, forcing me to block with the sword in my grip. "RARGH!"

"Guh!" I felt his claws strike through my healed stomach, before forcing his sharp claws out the sides of my body to stab me again and toss me into the ground, causing me to bounce.

"RRGH...!" I willed the Demon to fade and the gauntlets formed as I sensed my blade, which I had dropped when I had been thrown, near the blonde Monado wielder.

I blocked his stab and rolled away as the greaves formed, rising to my feet.

Mumkhar lunged and we clashed a few times. "Heh... not too bad!" His eyes widened, as he moved just enough to avoid the magical lightning bolt that came at him. "Heh... well, excuse me, princess, but that's not enough!" A slight grunt came out him.

He then rolled away, though I sensed a light cut from Shulk's Stream Edge.

"Damnit," I muttered, as Shulk handed me my sword. "This isn't..."

Shulk sighed. "We have to finish this quick."

"Yeah..." I already heard my heavy breathing. "Let's go.

"Thanks, Melia!" I called, feeling the slight healing of one of her Elementals.

I didn't get her answer as I morphed into the Soul Trigger form, moving forth.

"Speed 2!" Shulk rushed forth. "Hah!" He leapt through the air.

I lunged, and slowed time. "Stab Strike!"

"CROSS FANG!" Mumkhar rushed at us, and blood exploded from both our bodies as he crossed with his claws seeming to carry blood. "Heh..."

"Ugh...! Light Heal!" Shulk healed himself as he moved forward. "Air Slash!"

I growled. "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" roared Mumkhar. "COME ON!" His claws pierced Shulk's lung and intestine before tossing him aside. "LET'S SEE YOU DIE!"

Melia cried out as Sharla shifted her attention to the blonde.

We clashed, and our faces almost touched, though did not due to the sharp objects we held.

"Oh, I won't." I glared at him. "And when I'm done with you, you'll never threaten my friends again."

"What, mad?" he sneered.

"AURA SLASH!" I roared, the sword grinding against his claws, before cutting him.

"Geh!" He slid away. "Eagle Flash!"

I cut through the burst of energy that came at me.

"Cross Slash!" I shouted, lunging.

"Heh...! You're too obvious!" Mumkhar nullified the slash before stabbing my face.

"ANDREW!" yelled Shulk, as a green glow surrounded his shoes.

I didn't feel the six metallic sharpness in my face. Couldn't feel it, even if I wanted to.

"STAB WAVE!" I howled, straight through the stomach and gut.

If he were human, anyway. I got a smirk from the enemy before me before ripping his claws out, covering my eyes in my own blood as my form reverted to become human.

"Weakening?!" he spat, kicking me away. "Too easy!"

I wiped the blood away with the surrounding snow, panting as Sharla shot me with a round of healing Ether.

 _Those claws... right, they have a poisonous Ether on them,_ I recalled. "Hah..."

"This is the Monado's power!" declared Shulk. "BUSTER!" He slashed down with the enlarged blade beam, as he took a high jump.

Mumkhar blocked with both claws. "Heh... NOT ENOUGH, MONADO BOY!"

"Mumkhar...!" I rose, and moved at him, the remnants of the Soul Demon starting to return. "SOUL AURA SLASH!"

"Hmph...!" Mumkhar rolled away from Shulk and the beam clashed with the Soul Demon's sword.

"OW!" I winced at the recoil, before being struck by a fast stream of claw strikes, dragging me through the snow by the intensity of the attacks.

"Hey...!" Shulk's shoes' glow turned blue. "Slit Edge!"

Mumkhar whipped around and forced Shulk away.

The Demon faded as I used Defensive Reversal to force Mumkhar away as he tried to attack again. "Hah... hah..."

"Aw, is the little kid exhausted already?" he grinned, the slight light present shining off his claws. "Well... Red Coat?"

I groaned, holding my free hand to the wounds, feeling them hurt with more intensity, which wore away as my hand came away stained with blood.

Without looking behind him, Mumkhar raised his claws to block the slash coming at him, and Shulk growled in frustration.

"Damn," I muttered, as Shulk struggled against the foe. "Hey... switch!"

"Wha... OK!" Shulk leapt away as I moved in, with Mumkhar's claws' barely able to block my punch in time.

 _If I can use a shockwave with these, then..._ I breathed out, ducking under a wide swipe. "Phew..."

"Geh...! RARGH!" He lunged, the claws flashing at my eye.

"Hah...!" I punched him back, bringing my arm back as the red outline of a destructive shockwave surrounded the right gauntlet. "Aura Strike!" I roared.

"GEH!" hissed Metal Face, staggering from the blow. "Hm...?!"

"BACK SLASH!" roared Shulk, leaping forward, leaving a massive wound on Mumkhar's back as he was forced away. "Phew... he's tough...!" The Monado's user wiped some sweat from under his chin. "Wait... wha-"

I gasped, as Dunban leapt in, arm healed back to normal. "MUMKHAR!"

The Mechon turned, and Shulk focused Enchant on Dunban as the Homs clashed with his old former friend, sword against claws.

A loud, harsh growl rang out of Dunban's mouth as he slashed. "You fought beside me at Sword Valley!" he spat.

I willed the gauntlets away, and withdrew my sword.

Dunban hissed as the claws rushed through his usable arm, before raising his blade to block the other hand worth of claw. "Why did you change sides?!"

Mumkhar kept advancing backwards from Dunban's attacks, and for the first time, I could see sweat down the half-Homs' face.

"Why have... why did you choose the Mechon?!" roared the swordsman. "GALE SLASH!"

Mumkhar leapt away, the tip of the stab just grazing his shoulder.

"Hah!" Dunban rushed in. "Worldly...!"

"You're as blind as back then!" spat back Metal Face, pushing Dunban back as the Homs tried to use the Art. "Heh... I've wanted you dead for years!"

The continuous sound of metal clashing stopped with one massive clash by both combatants.

There was a loud rumbling.

"What the...? Is... the Bionis moving?" breathed Shulk.

"I wanted the Monado so I could be the hero!" screamed Mumkhar, as the two fought.

"IS THAT IT?!" howled Dunban. "You... join the Mechon... attack our Colony... kill Fiora...and countless more people... ALL SO YOU COULD TAKE THE MONADO?!" He managed to slash the face of his foe. "YOU... BASTARD!"

"I love this new body of mine, " grinned Mumkhar. "The... POWER!"

Dunban gasped as the claws sunk into both lungs at the same time.

Shulk gasped, though fell as he tried to move forward. "Ugh... hah...!"

 _His breathing is...!_ I realized in an instant, and rushed forward with the gauntlets and greaves forming.

"Ugh...!" The Homs coughed up blood. "Damn...!" He started to fall to his knees, dragging the claws further into his lungs.

Mumkhar saw me and moved away from his former friend to use his claws, grating against my gauntlets, producing a horrible sound.

Metal Face gasped as Dunban, now from behind him, slashed him. The half-Homs fell to one knee, before rising as electricity crackled around his arm.

"DUNBAN... YOU WILL NEVER WIN!" growled Mumkhar, holding his arm as he staggered back. "Just... GET ON YOUR KNEES AND WORSHIP ME ALREADY!"

Dunban swallowed, taking in a loud gasp of air as Sharla emptied her Ether ammo into him. "Hah... hah..." He spat out blood, a sharp contrast of red against the white snow.

He rose from his knees, glaring. "Never." His voice was quiet now. "I WILL strike you down and all you have now become, you sad, wretched fool."

"Sad...? Sad? Me?" Mumkhar laughed. "Oh...? The sad one here... IS YOU, DUNBAN!"

"RARGH!" roared Dunban, starting to rush forward, though stopping as snow drifted by, obscuring vision.

Pods of metal looking like poorly disguised Transformers fell from the sky.

"That light...!" breathed Shulk. "It's...!"

From above landed a golden Mechon, and the debris of snow forced Dunban and I backwards.

"A golden... Mechon...?!" spoke Melia.

The pods activated, and faced Mechon started to wander.

"It's not like the other Mechon," spoke Shulk.

"Yeah..." I grunted. "i can feel it."

 _So that douche Egil is this strong...?_

"You are correct, Heir to the Monado," declared the voice from the Mechon. "This... is the strongest Mechon ever built. It is controlled by myself... Egil."

"Egil...!" grunted Shulk.

"The leader of Mechonis and agent of Meyneth."

His words echoed out in the cold air.

"Leader of Mechonis!" Shulk had a sharp intake of breath. "So you... YOU control all of the Mechon."

"I am he," responded Egil. "We fight to free the world from the tyranny of the Bionis."

That word really sounds like Bionicle, but whatever.

"Why?!" shouted Shulk. "Why... do you trap Homs in machines?!" He swallowed, the beam emerging from the Monado again.

"What do you want from us?! Why do you make us fight for you?!"

"Your questions are of little importance." Egil's Mechon adjusted to look down at the blonde. "I must return with this one..."

He raised his hand and there was light, surrounding Silver Face.

"Fiora...!" gasped Dunban.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" screamed Shulk.

Egil floated with Silver Face, and spoke as they ascended.

"If you want her... come and get her.

"You are more then welcome on Mechonis."

Then they were flying away.

The Mechon around started to follow.

"Come and visit anytime you want, Dunban!" laughed Mumkhar. "Until you do... it could be just Fiora and me alone in a room, you know... HA HA HA!"

"You...!" Though there was venom in Dunban's eyes, it was clear that he held no more strength in his body.

"We are coming," growled Shulk. "And we will NOT give up... no matter what happens."

We started to run, as Shulk broke off in a sprint.

"Shulk, don't be so hasty!" shouted Sharla. "We...!"

Her words fell on deaf ears as Shulk kept running.

"Find us... Monado. Sword of the Bionis," spoke Egil. "We will meet on the battlefield."

All the Mechon were going, almost out of sight now.

"Fiora... we will find you." Shulk came to a stop, gasping for oxygen, before taking in one big gulp of air.

"FIORA!"


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"Hah... hah..."

Shulk placed the Monado on his back, looking down.

"Is everybody alright?" he spoke, turning around.

In an instant his eyes flashed with fear. "GUYS RUN!" he shouted.

"What is problem, Shulk?" asked Riki as he waddled through the snow.

"We have to get out of here now!" Shulk gasped. "Oh no."

I looked back. "Wait a second... isn't that the... Avalaunche Abossay? Or something...?"

"It's the Avalanche Abaasy!" snapped Shulk. "There's no way we can fight it right now! We have... to... go!"

"That... that's a monster," breathed Sharla.

"So don't stand there and stare at it!" yelled Shulk. "C'mon, let's go!"

There was a large cave before us, and the dragon howled as it let out silver claws with a lunge.

"Andrew!" With a dive, Shulk tackled me, and the dragon slammed into the top of the entrance, crashing to the ground.

"It... Toppled itself?!" spoke Shulk.

"Then let it stay down a little longer!" declared Dunban. "Steel Strike!"

As soon as he struck, he went flying backwards. "UGH..."

 _Didn't it have an Instant Death thing?_ I thought. "But it was Toppled, so..."

"We have to get out! GUYS!" roared Shulk. "GO!" He ran forward, and I followed him.

"How about a little something..." Sharla loaded her rifle. "Head Shot!"

The dragon hissed, rising as the shot connected. It screamed.

"Damn!" cursed Shulk, grabbing the Monado. "Andrew! We gotta push it back so we can escape!"

I drew my own sword. "Alright... but doesn't it-"

"It can repel any attacks with so much extra added force you could go flying!" he spoke. "So what we have to do is attack without making direct contact, then run like hell!"

"Oh, okay. Let's do it then."

The Avalanche Abaasy took to the air, and ascended.

"It's preparing to charge," grunted Shulk. "Andrew, we just have to divert its path so it doesn't get through this cave, you get it?!"

"So it hits the part just above and then the cave will collapse in itself due to the lack of stability?" I asked, sensing the slight shaking within the cave.

"Yeah," nodded Shulk. "Sharla, Dunban, Melia, Riki! You guys go! Andrew and I will catch up in a second!"

"You are sure this is the best plan?" spoke Melia.

"There's no time! Dunban, everyone, just... GO!" roared Shulk.

At the raised voice, everyone flinched before starting to move away.

"Let's do this," spoke Shulk, as a purple aura surrounded the Monado. "MONADO PURGE!"

The Soul Demon appeared. "SOUL STAB STRIKE!" I shouted.

The combined force of the attacks caused the best to hiss as its path shifted, hitting the side of the cave.

At the same time, I felt my arm snap back, dislocating the limb as I staggered backwards. "ARGH!"

"Andrew, we have to go!" shouted Shulk.

There was a loud rumbling, as rocks and other debris started to fall.

The sudden smell of rock and dust assaulted my senses, and I coughed as I started to run.

A roar rang out and fire shot through any holes in between the still falling rubble, expanding once inside the cave somehow.

"Oh no..." I heard Shulk say, before the dragon charged through the entrance, fire already streaming outwards.

And all of us were gone.

...

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

"Ugh..."

I opened my eyes and managed to use my heavy arms to pick myself off the ground.

"Damn... the hell happened...?"

I shook my head and looked around myself.

"Wait a sec... agh..."

I held my head.

"Crap... this is... Sword Valley..." I spat out blood. "But where exactly...?"

It felt like focusing too much was impossible, due to the constant pounding on my head,

I looked behind me to see a large chasm.

"What the..."

There was a faint glow present there, radiant with Ether.

"It... kinda... it's like... the glow of the Monado..." I mumbled aloud.

I grunted, holding a hand to my side. "Ugh... UGH!"

I forced my hand away. My hand was burnt, though not to the extent of my torso and such, judging by the almost excessive heat.

"Ow..." With another groan I started to wander off, and picked my sword off the ground nearby.

A loud mechanical hissing burst out and a Mechon descended down a cliff, glaring at me.

"Great." I willed the gauntlets and greaves to form, ignoring the burning sensation as I forced both charred hands into fists. "Fantastic, in fact."

 _It doesn't have a face, though, so I should be alright..._

I dodged a laser, and an aura concentrated around my gauntlet as I started to run closer.

The machine growled and a boxing glove popped out to deflect my punch.

"Geez!" I grunted, doing a push-up under a second punching glove. "Why punching gloves, they're-WHOA!"

I rolled away as something slashed down with a... something, cutting the Mechon in half.

I grunted, settling into a fighting stance.

 _This thing... it's not a Mechon,_ I thought. _Not... completely Mechon, anyways..._

 _But this feels way too familiar..._

The being, clad in metal armour, turned towards me.

"Aw shit," I muttered. "Of course this has to happen."

"Hey, Andrew!" grinned Reyn. "It's been a while." He placed what looked like a massive, heavy Driver on his back with one hand.

"Uh... yeah," I replied. "Uh... shoot, why'd we have to get separated now?" I groaned, letting both gauntlets and greaves return to rings.

"What do you mean?" The Homs tilted his head.

Though that was no longer correct, actually. It was clear he had become...

"A Machina, if I remember right...?" I mumbled. "No, it's... faced Mechon or...?"

"Hey, what happened? What happened to Sharla, Shulk, Dunban and all the rest?"

"Oh, um..." I scratched the back of my head. "We... all got totally wrecked by this super dragon."

"A super dragon, huh...?" Reyn looked thoughtful.

His pupils dilated, before returning to normal.

"Sorry, man... but you have to die."

"Wait, what? I do?" I took a half step back with my right foot.

"Must obey Egil..." Reyn breathed. "And Egil demands... that those by the name of Shulk, Sharla, Dunban, Melia and Andrew must perish."

"You're missing Riki, mate," I told him. _Dammit... I have to fight a Mechon Reyn now?!_

 _At this rate I'm gonna end up killing Shulk in the fight against Zanza or some stupid crap like that!_

"Sorry, Andrew... don't hold it against me!" he shouted, charging forward.

"Yeah..." I slammed my fists together as the gauntlets formed. "That's my line."

...

"Good... so those Homs have all scattered," spoke Egil, inside his control room.. "And that one... Reyn has encountered that "Andrew"... hmph."

He sat back.

"It would appear that it's the end of the road, Homs..."

"UGH!" A Homs with a red blade slammed onto the ground.

"And there's one of them." Egil stood.

"You shall make for a good Mechon..."


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

"Ugh!" I gasped, staggering from blocking a stab. "Crap...!" I rolled from a downwards strike, lunging with a punch Reyn blocks with a palm. "Rrgh..."

"Bone Upper!" he shouted, and I slid away from the uppercut. "Dive Sobat!"

"Damn!" I staggered, feeling my legs' muscles slow down. "Huh...!" I concentrated an aura around both gauntlets and shot them forward.

Reyn shifted his Driver to a defensive mode, running forward while blocking the shockwaves. "Lariat!" he yelled, stabbing into me.

"Tch...!" I summoned the Soul Demon, and it punched Reyn back.

"Whoa...! What is that?" asked Reyn, recovering.

 _The Demon... its weapon it wields is based on I'm using...?_ I drew my sword, and the Soul Demon produced a ghastly blade.

"Rrgh..." Reyn stopped, though his pupils dilated and returned to normal before lunging again. "RARGH!"

I let out a groan as I willed the Demon to slash forward with a movement of my blade. Reyn rolled from the slash and changed his Driver to... why is it-

"OH FUDGE-DOODLES AND POPSICLES!" I willed the Demon to fade and dodged the projectiles that came flying out of his weapon.

"HAMMER SWING!" shouted Reyn as he moved forward.

"Ugh...! Cross Slash!" I grunted, deflecting the Art before tossing my sword up and punching as the gauntlets formed.

Reyn grunted as he defended from the furious assault of punches. "RAGE!"

I let out a slight gasp as I sensed my punches weaken, the very foundation of muscle starting to break down a bit. I leapt over him as I used the Soul Trigger form, grabbing my sword as I landed behind him.

Reyn flinched and started to turn.

"AURA SLASH!" I roared, slashing his back as the shockwave sent him flying.

Reyn grunted, sliding to a halt. "MAGNUM CHARGE!" he shouted. "And... SWORD DRIVE!"

I willed the Demon to return, wincing at the pain as my existence shifted, unstable. "SOUL STAB WAVE!"

Reyn howled in agony as he was pierced. "UGH...!"

"Sorry," I panted, letting myself revert as well as the Soul Demon, concentrating a massive shockwave around my blade. "It's over, Reyn."

"No... it's not."

I grunted as a massive Mechon suit descended from somewhere, and Reyn stood.

"I won't let you!" I released the shockwave at him, though the Mechon drew its weapon, a Driver, dividing the shockwave, which slammed into the nearby walls, leaving deep scars.

"Damn," I groaned as the half-Mechon (I think?) Reyn entered his Mobile Suit and powered it up. "That's not good."

"SWORD DRIVE!" roared Reyn inside the Mechon, stabbing through me as it struck.

 _Right through the stomach...!_ I coughed out blood as I morphed, howling as I struggled to push the Driver's tip away.

"UGH!" I gasped as we stopped, slamming me into a wall. "Shoot...!"

"RARGH!" Reyn's Mechon kept accelerating forward, starting to bury me in the foundation of the dirt itself.

I grit my teeth. _Only one way out of this._

With a growl I shoved the Driver to one side, starting to tear the tip sideways through my body as I strained against it.

"What the..." I heard Reyn say, eyes widening. "He's..."

Gritting my teeth together I fell to the side, ascending with the usage of my wings. "RARGH!" I let myself fall as I reverted to normal.

"LARIAT!" roared Reyn, the massive Driver rushing at me.

I winced, using the Soul Demon, punching. "GAH!" I recoiled back at impact, and groaned as I slid along the ground. "Dammit!" Upon finally stopping to a halt, the Demon faded away.

I threw up blood. "UGH..."

I gasped, wiping blood from my mouth as I dodged the Driver, which slammed into the ground as Reyn used Hammer Swing.

"Maybe if I..." Taking off in a swift run I ran up the side of the Driver, before leaping onto an arm.

"Sweet!" I smirked, using a gauntlet to punch a small hole through the arm. "Just SHIT!"

Reyn leapt out and forced his Driver forward, forcing me into a wall. "NOW IT'S REYN TIME!"

"Crap...!" I drew my sword, and deflected his attacks.

 _This is too easy... I just place it in front of me and it rebounds with so much force!_ I thought, before jumping away from another attack.

"Geez... STAND STILL, YA JOKA!" howled Reyn, charging forward. "SWORD DRIVE!"

"Gotcha." I reflected his attack with Defensive Reversal, and threw my sword into the air again as my gauntlets formed.

"Gomu-Gomu No... GATLING!" I roared, forcing him back. "Heh... hah... Stream Lunge!" I declared, making up a name as I lunged forward for yet another punch, this time to his face, and Reyn slammed into a nearby wall.

Catching my sword out of the air, I started to move forward when I collapsed due to the sudden insanity of weight crashing on me.

"GWURGH?!" I gasped, coughing into the sand as the foot of Reyn's Mechon crushed me. "ARGH!" I felt and sensed all the bones in my left arm break and pop out of place, expected given I had used it to catch my fall- or tried to, anyway. "RRGH...!"

"Huh... guess I should'a listened better when Mumkhar told me about that remote control stuff..." groaned Reyn, staggering towards me. "Damn... you got me pretty good, Andrew! I didn't know you were that strong."

A scream ripped out as my spine started to crack and split apart in several places.

The pain. The agony. The...

"ARGH!" I screamed as more pain beat on my senses, more bones breaking, muscles ripping, ribs shattering. "UGH-GWAH-WAH!"

"Sorry, man... but it's over." Reyn raised his Driver, wobbling a bit. "Your pain... it's over.

"IT'S REYN TIME!"

"I..."

That was my voice, right? I could talk?

"I will..."

I spat out blood as I struggled still to not be crushed into the ground.

Through the terrible pain, I forced my left palm on the ground, trying to push up.

"HAMMER SWING!" shouted Reyn.

"RARGH..." I transformed, the wings shattering as I strained, almost like the glass popping out whenever an Evoker got pointed to your head and Orpheus just- _Need... more...!_

I used Time Slow and managed to change my grip on my sword to a reverse grip, though sideways due to being forced on the ground.

A shockwave engulfed the sword and I rose a little. A growl came out somewhere with a little blood as I forced the broken bones of my left arm back in place by just slamming the limb into the ground.

Reyn was moving so slowly now. So damn slow. In fact...

"RRGH...!" I gasped, and forced the Soul Demon to appear in front of me, controlling its movements with my mind as I closed my eyes.

The Demon sprang up and used a shockwave-enhanced blade to cut through the leg that was crushing me.

The weight vanished, and I could breathe again- if I needed to.

"HAH-RAH!" I got to one knee and forced Reyn away with a slash to the torso, any place on his body, anywhere, just enough to-

Our weapons slammed together.

I managed a weak grunt as I leapt back, as the Soul Demon charged forward.

"MAGNUM CHARGE!" howled Reyn. "I WILL-..." He stopped. "I will..."

"SOUL AURA SLASH!" I roared, and he raised his Driver, which blocked the slash with ease.

"I'm gonna end you... and then find Shulk." Reyn glared at me. "SWORD DRIVE!"

"SOUL STAB STRIKE!" I screamed, and the Demon shattered as it struck true against the Driver. "AGHRUFGH!"

The explosion in my right arm. The pain. Oh god, the damn, endless pain. How I ever took it, endured, suffered through it was...

"UGH...!" Reyn staggered as his Driver broke into about twenty-five pieces.

I dragged my feet over to him, and he stared as I slashed his throat.

He fell to the ground.

Then I returned to normal and collapsed.

I couldn't scream. That just made it hurt more.

Couldn't move unless I wanted the pain to try and kill me even harder.

Problem was I was still bleeding. Eventually I would just bleed out.

"I... am gonna survive," I mumbled somehow through the pain. "I..."

Then the world collapsed underneath me.

Due to being face down, I saw the sea, the overwhelming blue as I fell.

I also saw a small beach where some birds rested.

There was... what was that, actually? Looked like a massive, thick pillar... And another one near it.

The legs of the Bionis?

No, these were dark, they had to be the Mechonis.

And if that were true, then-

All of it substituted for black when I crashed into the water.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"Hey... th-"

I opened my eyes and whoever was speaking widened their eyes for a brief moment.

"How are you feeling?" spoke the... wait a second...

"Where am I?" I spoke, grunting as I sat upright. "Ow..."

"I would not recommend you try and stand just yet. Breaking several parts of your spine, shattering your ribs, dozens of cuts causing bleeding at an extremely accelerated rate, downright decimating half the bones in your left arm as well as most of the muscles in your body either tearing, ripping or downright separating... it's a miracle that you survived to and through surgery."

I winced at the dull pain, shifting the blankets to see the new scars all over my body.

"Ugh... it's... kinda hard... to feel my left arm, actually," I mumbled, looking at it.

"The decimated bones in it were so heavily damaged that they had to be replaced with metal." The Machina woman looked me over.

"Thanks for saving me," I told her as I stood. "And for the surgery and stuff. May I ask for your name?"

"My name is Linada," she replied. "And you are welcome. You aren't a Homs, however, correct?"

"Well... wait, what?!" I stared at her. "How do you know that?!"

"Miqol was able to identify you," she replied. "Ah... you wouldn't know who he is. Miqol is-"

"Leader of the Machina." I paused. "I should probably talk to him... by the way, where's my sword and that awesome red jacket I was wearing?"

Linada shook her head with a brief sigh. "Your blade is currently being inspected by some of the craftsmen in town. It's very unique. And..." She reached out a hand, with four distinct rings in her palm. "These were on your body as well."

"Thanks." I took the rings and once again adjusted them to my body. "And my clothing...?"

"Torn to shreds from the fall." Linada grabbed a nearby bundle of fabric. "These should do just as nicely. They're made of a material that absorbs blood to repair any damage done to it."

"Wow... that's awesome for a fight," I mused, getting the nice sky blue jacket on. "Eh. Blue works."

"I do recommend you see Miqol as quickly as you can," spoke Linada, turning away to look at... doctor stuff, I guess. "He expressed a desire to speak with you."

"Alright. Thanks again for healing me," I spoke. At her nod, I walked out.

"Let's see," I muttered, sensing for Miqol's presence. I closed my eyes and grunted as I sensed an olden, almost ancient being. "Probably him..."

I opened my eyes and started to move towards him when there was...

I felt a slight cut start to bleed on my right cheek.

What was that?

I swallowed and took off in a run towards the old Machina.

...

"Hello...?"

The massive Machina in front of me shifted, though didn't open his eyes. "Andrew... I am Miqol."

"Leader of the Machina." I tilted my head out of respect. "Nice to meet you."

"Mm... you are... let me see... the third human I have ever met."

I frowned. "Wait... I have questions. A lot of questions, actually. To start with, uh... you know I'm human?"

"Your presence is different then a Homs," replied Miqol. "And though it is not written in any history books I know of... humans lived here on Bionis, a long time ago."

I stared. "Wow..." I swallowed and blinked. "Humans... lived here...?"

"Mostly on the Mechonis," replied Miqol, those maybe eyes next to what actually be his eyes flickering back and forth. "Though later on... they grew too large and left for the Bionis as well."

I felt myself frown. "Wait... if humans lived here... why's there Homs instead of humans?"

Miqol shifted in place and sighed. "I do not know."

I sat down, sensing the long conversation to follow. "Huh...?"

"Well..." Miqol leaned back. "Humans didn't interact too much with us Machina. Afraid, perhaps... though..."

"Yes?" I spoke, hearing him trail off.

Miqol shook his head. "Another time. For now, young one... there was just one day when all human vanished from both the Mechonis and the Bionis. And after that day, I have seen only two others... until today."

I narrowed my eyes in sudden concentration. "Hm... who were those humans be?"

"Well... if you wish to know..." Miqol sat with a slight grunt. "Heh... it's been a long time indeed..."

I tilted my head.

"Their names were Cross and Rex."

I felt myself frown. "Huh... the first sounds kinda similar, but... Rex...?"

"I would doubt you know of either." Miqol grunted. "They were scarcely known, admittedly."

With a sigh, I cracked my fingers, still looking at him. "But what do you know?"

"Cross was alone... a great swordsman, vague tales would say, though he was very versatile with all weapons. He preferred twin swords, however.

"He claimed that he was from... the planet Mira, after... escaping Earth for some reason, I believe." Miqol frowned. "It's been far too long."

"Cross..." I breathed the name, and closed my own eyes, thoughts dashing wild in my mind. "Where have I... damn, that sounds familiar... way too familiar, but... argh!" I groaned. "I can't put my finger on it!"

"Rex... well... he wasn't quite alone," mused Miqol. "He had someone with him... her name... hm... Py..." He paused, forehead creases forming. "Her name... Pyra...? I am sure... it was Pyra.

"There was something off about her. Not quite human like Rex was, special in some way... hm..."

"Cross..." I gasped. "That..." _Wait... if he's from Earth or Mira or whatever... then I should be able to go home using the reverse way he came, right?_

"Miqol... last question. Well, uh... for now, anyways," I spoke, scratching my head. "Did Cross mention how he got here on Mechonis?"

"Hm... well... he mentioned... yes," recalled the old Machina. "Cross didn't wish to say, but he did tell me just before he ventured off that he had to sacrifice something great to do something."

"Sacrifice...?" _What, like, a ritual or some crap?_ I thought. _Eh. If it is, I ain't doing it. Don't know how, and I ain't religious anyway. Probably another way, but..._

"Thanks for telling me this stuff," I spoke, standing. "Ow..." I winced at the slight pain stiffness brought, before managing to stand up straight through the many aches in my body. I took a slight dip of my head towards him.

"Don't mention it, young one," replied Miqol. "Are you going?"

"Who knows?" I spoke, starting towards the entrance/exit. "I have no idea what I'll do.

"What I do know is that there isn't no way I won't be back home at the end of it."

With that, I walked out and let the sunlight wash over my entire being, feeling my spirits lift.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"Hm..."

I stared at... something, I guess.

"Hm..." _Where's Shulk and all them? Did a thing happen to them? Are they still in Sword Valley and stuff?_

I grunted, rubbing closed eyes. _Damn... what if they're like, in a big fight? I can't just..._

A groan slipped past my lips. _Dammit. I tried not to attached to them in any capacity, telling myself they were just video game characters..._

 _But to me... if I'm being honest... they're more then that._

 _Shulk talking with me, Reyn guarding with his shield, Sharla constantly healing me, Dunban with his wisdom... Melia's regal speech and Riki being the funny oddball in this group..._

 _They're my friends._

"Hey... Linada?"

The doctor, who had come out for a good stretch and likely some fresh air, paused to walk over to me. "Yes, Andrew?"

"Uh..." I narrowed my eyes. "Is there... any way to get to the Mechon... uh... Sword Valley from here?"

She tapped a finger to her forehead with a thoughtful expression blooming on her face. "Well... two come to mind."

"Can you tell me how?" I asked, standing, with a short wince with the overwhelming stiffness in my body. "Ugh..."

"You could ask Miqol to take you via Junks," spoke the Machina. "However... from what history records can tell me... there are plenty of hostile Mechon residing in Sword Valley, with numbers only growing. Junks would likely be shot down before you could ever hope to land."

"So... great," I mumbled. "Please tell me option two is a less dangerous option."

"Well... overall for the village... yes," she spoke, pausing. "Though personally for you, much more dangerous, in all honesty."

"Whatever. I can probably take what's coming!" I declared. "So... what is it?"

"Well... there's an out of power teleporter here in the village," she spoke. "If you can slay some Mechon here on this part of the Mechonis, we could use their cores to power up the teleporter."

"Wait... there's a teleporter here... and in Sword Valley?" I paused as she nodded. "Huh... okay, then. Oh, yeah. Why's it more dangerous for me?"

"The teleporter will compress your body into minuscule bits, taking you to a hyperspace, and compress your whole body back to normal at the destination, all in less then 0.24212 seconds."

I tilted my head. "Huh... wait, less then a... uh... quarter of a second?" I sighed. "That sounds... very, very unpleasant."

"Yes, and... humans were never meant to be compressed and un-compressed in any time less then 30 minutes," admitted Linada. "But if you do survive... you would be in Sword Valley, and able to-hopefully-meet up with your companions."

With a grunt, I adjusted the sword on my back. "They aren't my companions." The words are out of my mouth before anything else. _Crap._

"Oh?" Linada tilted her head slightly. "What would you call those adventurers you have spoken much about, then?"

I sighed as I started to walk away. _Might as well._ "They're my friends."

I sensed her smiling as I left the village.

...

"Geez!" I let out a grunt as I deflected as laser off of my sword, the gauntlets forming as I tossed my sword into the air. With a loud grunt, I punched clean through the Mechon, before tearing my arm out to catch my blade and block a chainsaw coming from behind me. "These Mechon... ugh!" I slid away and let out a harsh breath as I cracked my neck. "They're getting tougher..."

A harsh beeping rang out and the chainsaw detached to fly at me.

"Gh!" Blocking, I willed a greave to form and kicked the chainsaw back, right through the face. The Mechon let out a whizzing of odd sounds before falling to the ground.

"Phew... huh?" I ducked as bullets shot at me. "Oh, that's just great!" I grasped my sword, blocking more bullets as I dashed away.

 _Huh... I don't think I ever tried this... but can a shockwave hurt them?_ I concentrated an aura around my blade and swiped as I rolled from the furious screech of the incoming storm of promising death.

The Mechon was cut in two, the two halves of its body falling to the ground in a pile.

I also saw the shockwave rush through the air, fading to nothing before any environmental damage was done.

"Alright... so..." I walked closer to the chainsaw Mechon, forcing the sharp weapon out of its face. "Let's see... I gotta grab their core, right?" I glanced at a hand as the gauntlet un-formed. "Uh... do I... just... I dunno... force my hand into it?"

I could sense the general location of the destroyed Mechon's core, tangled up in a bunch of wires and other crap.

"Great," I muttered, before forcing a hand into the machine with a grunt. A wince came out as a light electric shock got me, before I managed to tear out the core of the now dead Mechon.

 _I feel like Raiden._ The thought came to mind. _All I need is a vibration sword and a robot body okay I am nothing like Raiden._

A smirk made its way onto my face, and I laughed at my foolishness, looking up at the blue sky.

"Home..." I mused, settling my sword on my back. "What is home anyway?"

I shook my head at the random question and yawned, holding the core of the Mechon.

...

"There..." Linada let out a breath. "That should do it."

I stared when a sudden bright light shone out, and I swore as I shielded my eyes. "Ugh... so that's the teleporter, huh?"

"Indeed." Linada yawned and stopped. "It will connect to the teleporter in Sword Valley... one of them."

"There's several?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"Yes... and it's quite random which one it connects to," spoke the Machina.

"Well... ain't nothing else to do but try it!" I steeped towards the teleporter before stopping. "Ah... thanks, Linada." I nodded at her. "I'll be back... hopefully."

"I shall pray that you return in one piece," she replied, nodding back.

I stepped into the teleporter, and screams rushed out as something happened to me, oh god, it was me, that hand coming out of my stomach was-

I was on the ground, looking up at a dusty ceiling.

"Ugh..." I picked myself off the ground with a groan, staggering. "Damn..."

I could sense internal injury and a few broken ribs.

"Well..." I grimace, leaning heavily against a door. "I've been through worse-WHOA!"

The door opened, and I fell forward onto the ground.

15.42 metres down.

"UGH!" I spoke out as I hit the ground. "Ow... huh?"

Then came the distinct sound of battle.

And lasers. That too.

I got off the ground, and dashed towards the growing sounds of battle.

Rounding a corner, a loud hiss came out of me as a laser flew at my face. My instincts howled, and I drew my sword to slash apart the laser.

I rushed forward, using my momentum to slide along the floor, below more lasers before rolling to my feet, rounding another corner, slashing-

"OH SHOOT!" I held back, and got off with a light cut to Sharla's stomach. "Sorry-"

"Andrew?" I noticed her heaving for breath, covered in wounds. "How did you..." She shook her head. "That... that isn't important right now. But... this really isn't good."

I turned to the side to see Metal Face charge at me, a mechanical cry edging the claws that came forward.

A laugh came out, as loud as, no, louder then Mumkhar's shout, and I tossed my sword into the air and met his claws with my gauntlets forming.

"RED COAT!" roared the half-Homs, a grin coming over the metallic face as he forced me away.

I winced as I slid away, and I dashed forward with greaves forming for a flying kick.

"HAH!" Mumkhar shoved me back, and I slammed into a wall, his claws detaching afterwards at my face.

Shulk caught my sword and grunted. "Andrew, catch!" he yelled.

I nodded, punching my sword which deflected the claws, spinning in the air as the claws returned back to the faced Mechon.

"Curses..." grunted Dunban, cutting at a faced Mechon. "These ones just keep coming...!"

I caught my blade and morphed, blade clashing with claw. "RARGH!" I slashed, and flew up just enough to avoid claws that came back like boomerangs.

"EAGLE FLASH!" roared Mumkhar, a blast of flame streaking towards me.

I let out a harsh grunt and cut apart the Ether attack, descending as fast as possible to avoid lasers from a faced Mechon Shulk instantly cut down using Buster before another-

"Getting distracted?" I grunted as Mumkhar leapt out of his Mobile Suit, claws flashing at my heart.

"Aura Slash!" I hissed out, my blade grinding against his claws. _What's going on...?! I should be able to... Wait..._

A distinct glow shone from his claws, and Mumkhar grinned as he forced them inside me, and ripping them out. "Heh... I won't hold back anymore."

I winced, and concentrated a shockwave around my sword before swiping, and Mumkhar dodged. "Gh!"

"MANIFEST!" screamed a voice, and a fiery bolt crashed down, grazing Mumkhar as he moved.

 _Melia too...?!_ I smirked as I moved forward. _The whole gang's here!_ "Stab Wave!"

Mumkhar growled, snapping his fingers. His Mobile Suit moved in front of him, nullifying my strike. "Tch...! Do you really think that's enough?!"

"Uh... I didn't say a thing except calling out my attacks!" I called, letting myself revert to normal. "So... I mean... whoa?" I grunted as Melia collapsed near to me. "Hey... you okay, princess?"

"I... hah..." Her breathing was laboured, uneven. Her heart was working overtime just for her to function, too. "I am... quite alright..."

"Well, excuse me, princess, but I would personally disagree," I spoke, withdrawing my sword and the gauntlets and greaves forming just in time to clash with the semi-metallic adversary lunging at me. "Gh...!"

"HA HA HA HA!" Mumkhar laughed, forcing me back with each swipe of his fierce claws. "Come on, Red Coat! After killing Reyn, I thought you would've been stronger then this!"

Everyone froze, and one strike from all the faced Mechon around was enough to force them sprawling to the ground.

Shulk stared at me, ignorant of the new wound he suffered. "Wha... Andrew... you..."

I growled, shoving Mumkhar back. "Hah..." _Damn. This is not good._

"Well... looks like the big hero here is going to become the villain, huh?!" cackled the enemy before me. "Heh... how pretentious of you."

I let a long sigh escape.

"Andrew..." Everyone was looking at me with shocked gazes, but Shulk was the only one to actually break the sudden, heavy silence that settled over the battlefield. "Tell me..."

Shulk swallowed, and the blade of the Monado burst out.

"Did you kill Reyn?"

"I..." I sighed again. "I feel like you should be asking how I got to kill him, but... for all intensive purposes... yes, I did kill Reyn."

Shulk shook, his breathing turning abnormal. "You... you..."

Dunban closed his eyes, and Riki ( _when did he get here?_ I wondered) looked at the ground.

Melia took in a long breath. "I... believe... that you..." She stopped. "That... in..."

"He was..." I didn't flinch as the Monado's beam shot out, cutting my cheek, just look at the blonde.

"Don't you... don't say anything," growled Shulk. "Not until..." He let out a long sigh. "Not until... we're somewhere... safer." He turned. "Where did Mumkhar..."

A few dozen Mechon flooded the area, with Mumkhar powering up his Mobile Suit again.

"How boring," he drawled. "And here I thought you would tear each other apart now."

"Mumkhar... you will pay for your sins!" shouted Shulk. "For Colony 9... for killing Fiora... for the Emperor... THIS ENDS NOW!" he howled.

"Heh... well, let's see if you're man enough to keep those threats!" roared Metal Face. "Mechon... CHARGE!"

The several dozen Mechon charge forward, most aerial units, though the ground still shook with some ground units.

"Melia!" shouted Shulk, as we took a defensive formation.

"Summon Aqua... and Summon Copy!" declared the mage. "Manifest!" A sea of pure Ether water washed outwards, engulfing all the Mechon units. She leaned against me with her breathing being replaced by a loud rattling noise.

"Hey..." I let out a grunt. "Riki, Sharla-"

"You two stay back with Melia," spoke Shulk. "Dunban, Andrew and I will go forward."

The older Homs nodded and charged forward.

"Andrew..." Shulk stopped me with a hand. "I... had a vision that you killed Reyn." A small chuckle came out of him. "It's just... hard to take in that Reyn's dead again."

"He was under Egil's control," I spoke. "He-"

"Egil...? He made Reyn attack you?!" grunted Shulk. "That..." He grunted, dodging a hammer from a random faced Mechon. "Let's talk later! Right now... we need to help out Dunban!"

I nodded, and an odd feeling spread over me as I ran forward.

Like a huge weight I wasn't aware of taken off my back.

 **Thank you all for reading!**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

 **Ah... finally got it done.**

A loud gasp rang out, clear against the clangs of metallic objects clashing and the overwhelming smell of both blood and... oil, I think, but tha-

"GAH?!" I staggered from a slash, a long, grey blade striking my flesh. My eyes darting up at the large faced Mechon in front of myself instead of staring at how Melia was-

I palmed my face with a groan, and used my gauntlets to block another slash.

"Back Slash!" wheezed Shulk, and the Mechon fell to the ground from the heavy slash. "Hah..." He wiped sweat from his forehead. "Andrew... this is never gonna end unless we take down their leader."

 _Gee, doesn't this sound familiar._ "Then where's-" I froze up. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Shulk turned to be forced to the ground as Mumkhar sank his claws into him. "Ugh...!"

I grunted, and drew my sword to block Mumkhar leaping at me. "Geh!" I slid away, and leapt from another lunge, slashing at him.

I flinched as the sword struck, expecting a painful bounce back.

Which was exactly what occurred.

What also happened was a tiny cut in Mumkhar's side.

"What the...?" I looked at my sword with a frown. "It shouldn't... huh!" I whipped the sword behind myself and slashed out with Defensive Reversal, knocking the enemy away, the tip of my sword drawing blood.

"Huh... not bad, Red Coat!" smirked Mumkhar. "But don't focus too hard."

"What?" Too late, I felt a rush of wind behind me and raised my sword out of instinct to block a hammer crashing down on me. "UGH!" A gasp came out as I started to sink into the ground, which flaked and cracked open. "Gah..." I, for what felt like a long time, used both hands to strain against the hammer descending down on me.

"Eat this..." Mumkhar lunged at me, Ether covering his claws as he struck them through my eyes-

"Gale Slash!" shouted Dunban, deflecting the attack, a harsh wheeze escaping him as he did so.

"Mumkhar..." He pointed his blade toward his former comrade. "Today... you will perish."

"Heh... me, eh, Dunban?!" sneered the half-Homs. "We'll see about that, hm?"

"Rrgh!" I used my Soul Trigger form and pushed the hammer away, before a quick Stab Strike through the Homs pilot caused the whole Mechon to collapse. "Hah... hah..." I de-morphed and looked at Mumkhar. "No one's dying today." I paused. "Oops, uh... I mean... no one except you."

"Heh." Mumkhar leapt backwards, his Mechon body seeming to appear out of nowhere and take him back inside. It booted up again, red eyes glowing as the extended torso retracted back into the Mechon.

"Well, look who thinks are so mighty!" came Mumkhar's booming voice. "Well... LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN BACK IT UP!" He raised one claw and slammed it down on us.

Or what was likely what he wanted to have happen. Dunban and I dodged with ease.

"Sharla, cover me!" I yelled at her, dashing up the already retracting arm. "Dunban, let's-" A gasp came out as a small Mechon unit floated in front of me, the red shine of a-

I leapt sideways, away from the ensuing laser, and fell. "UGH!" I palmed my face as I used the Soul Trigger. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SO DAMN STUPID!" I concentrated a shockwave around my blade, and sent it flying through the air, and through the small Mechon . It sliced through the metal with ease, before striking against Metal Faces's... face.

He growled. "So... YOU WANT TO PLAY!" His thruster activated, and he took flight. "I'LL PLAY WITH YOU!"

"Hey...!" I also summoned the Soul Demon, flying up, the Demon's translucent sword clashing against the claws of the foe. "Ugh..." I winced as my heart gave a hard thump, and I sensed my breathing heavy, if I needed to breathe, anyway. "Hah..." _Why's my heart..._

 _Oh, crap. Is it my asthma?!_

"GOTCHA!" Mumkhar howled, the loud cry snapping me back to attention. Ether covered his claws, and he slashed through the Demon with a single swipe.

 _That easy?!_ I thought. _Is Ether lethal to the Soul De-_ "Guh..." I spat out blood as he pierced me. "Hah..." I reverted with a half gasp.

"Andrew!" Shulk moved through the air with large leaps. "Buster!" he shouted, the Monado's beam extending to ridiculous lengths. "HAH!" He slashed, with Mumkhar dropping me and avoiding the worse of the slash.

"UGH!" I hit the ground, hard, and groaned as I rolled to hands and knees. I managed a weak thumb's up as I felt a healing Ether wave wash over me. "Hah..." I staggered a little as I stood back up. "Ugh..."

"Hey, Andrew!" I heard Sharla say. "You alright?! Or do you need more healing?!" I heard empty shells eject from her rifle, a loud chatter as they hit the ground.

 _Right through my stomach... again._ I groaned. "Nah, I'm fine!"

 _Geez, now I'm reminded of a certain child tactician doing the thing with that Fire Emblem character in a fanfiction I did years ago-_

I felt myself frown. _Wait... years? When I was here... it was like, what... four or five months ago or something, I think?_

"Hey, look out!" screamed Sharla. "Head Shot!"

I turned, the gauntlets forming just in time to block the worst of the claws coming at my face, instead glancing off my body. "Ugh!"

"EAGLE FLASH!" Mumkhar leapt out of the Mechon to knock me along the ground. "Heh... too easy." Without turning, he thrust one of his hands behind himself, piercing through Dunban and causing the Homs to lose his momentum. "And you're too predictable."

"Gah..." Dunban grimaced, and tore out the claws with one hand. "Serene Heart..." A faint orange aura surrounded him as he rushed Mumkhar.

"Andrew! Help Shulk!" he spoke out of gritted teeth. "Mumkhar's mine!"

I nodded, and saw Melia and Riki slam into Sharla, causing the sniper to go flying over the edge.

"Hey!" I used the Soul Trigger, though with little strength. I still managed to rush under Sharla and catch her, however.

"Th-thanks," gasped Sharla, and I sensed her fast heartbeat.

"Yeah..." I flew back up to solid ground, feeling my energy fade as I let her down. "Hah..." _Gods, I'm so tired... the hell? I... shouldn't be... guess that Ether did a real number on me..._ "Hah..."

"YOU CAN DO IT!" chirped Riki, catching Melia, Sharla and I in the midst of the healing Ether. "There you go! Friends all healed up!"

"Thanks, Riki!" I grinned at the Nopon, and my greaves formed as I kicked a Mechon's sword. "Hah..."

A loud grunt came out of me as I punched through the mechanical foe, destroying it.

"Hey, Melia!" shouted Shulk, running after slaying another faced Mechon with a swipe from the Monado. "That flying Mechon! I can't-"

"Manifest..." Melia's voice was low, subdued, as a lightning bolt slammed through the Mechon in question, red lights for eyes dimming.

"Thanks," he nodded, casting Light Heal on himself. "Okay, guys! While there's not so many Mechon here right now, we should go help out Dunban!"

"Yeah..." I wiped my mouth and groaned. "Let's..." I looked forward. "Let's do this."

"Yeah... here, let me heal you guys before you really get in the thick of it," spoke Sharla, using Heal Bullet on Shulk and Heal Round to ensure as little injury as possible still remained. "Alright, guys..."

"Let's go!" Shulk rushed forward. "Mumkhar...!" He unleashed the Monado's beam again, and swiped. "You...!" His sword met the claws of the foe, and Shulk growled as he whipped the Monado back. "Air Slash Ascent-"

Mumkhar sidestepped, dodging the skywards slash with ease, leaving Shulk to start to fall. "Gotcha, Monado Boy!" He lunged, dragging his claws through Shulk, decimating his lungs.

A swift feeling of insane rage exploded inside of me. "MUMKHAR!" I heard myself howl, and I caught Shulk as the former Homs threw him at me. "I'm gonna get you!" I tossed Shulk aside, in Sharla's general direction as I use the gauntlets, clashing with his claws. "And this time... you're dead."

"Heh... I think the one to die today... WILL BE ALL OF YOU!" shouted Mumkhar, forcing me back with a powerful shove. "EAGLE FLASH!"

Sensing the weak point of the projectile, I drew my sword and cut the Ether in two. _Not enough energy to use anything... and he drained my Talent Art with that Ether earlier!_ "Dunban, keep the worse of the damn Mechon off me! I don't think you can take down Mumkhar like this-" With a harsh grunt I leapt from another lunge, and raised my sword to block the claws that flashed by. "Ugh...!" I slid away with a groan. "Damn... damn it all!"

"So... tired yet?" smirked the Mechon. "I'd guess so, Red Coat." He leapt backwards and booted up his Mechon again. "So to save myself some trouble... YOU'RE FIRST TO GO, MONADO BOY!"

I sensed Melia's water elemental start to wear away both fatigue and light wounds, though Shulk still couldn't breathe. He was choking on his own blood, despite Sharla's best efforts.

"Andrew, watch out!" roared Dunban, moving up close, his sword deflecting the heavy claws that came at him. "Gh...!"

I grunted, dodging as Dunban was forced to stagger back from a forceful shove. "And you said you were going for Shulk first!"

Mumkhar smirked. "Well, never let easy prey get away, I say!" He activated his thrusters, slamming into me. "LIKE YOU!"

Groaning, I strained to keep my ground with the gauntlets, the greaves helping with added friction. "Ugh!" I slammed along the ground, feeling my sleeve rip as I slid to a halt. "Dammit... Sharla!" I shouted, rolling back to my feet. "M-"

She gasped as the claws impaled her, tossing her limp body away. Though she was limp, her heartbeat was still fairly strong.

Shulk stared up at Mumkhar, whose claw was descending down at him.

I didn't realize I had stabbed myself until the pain and spike of energy exploded inside my body.

I slowed time and called the Soul Demon, reaching forward. Somehow the sword stopped the claws, though I felt something in the Demon's arm crack and start to shatter, sensing something starting to get forced out of place.

"WORLDLY SLASH!" howled Dunban, cutting the face of the foe, enough to cause the suit stagger and lose concentration.

"Riki!" I yelled. "Shulk! DO IT!" I forced whatever part of my arm back in place as I allowed the Demon and time to return to normal.

"Ah... yes! YOU CAN DO IT!" shouted the Nopon, and I sensed the lacerations in Shulk's lungs become slightly less severe as he coughed up blood.

"Geh!" Dunban slid away from the powerful claws of the foe, and a laser zapped him right in the back. "UGH!" He staggered. "Damn... more Mechon!"

I ran forward and deflected another laser using the greaves. "Phew... wait a second." I frowned. "Where's Melia?"

An icy lightning bolt rushed out, striking the face of the unit and pinning Mumkhar's Mobile Suit to the ground. "Hah... hah..." She smiled. "There."

Mumkhar leapt out with a grunt. "Damn you, princess!" he shouted. "I'm gonna get you for that!"

"As well... I have used ice to freeze all the nearby deposits shut," spoke Melia, wiping sweat off her face. "So now... no more reinforcements."

"That's a relief," spoke Sharla, an Ether-filled round decimating a flying unit, and I send the same remnants of Riki's healing Ether at her wounds. "At the pace we're going, we wouldn't last."

"Good move, Melia!" called Dunban, and she blushed.

"Yeah, that- HAH!" I punched, diverting Mumkhar's claws so he didn't pierce Dunban's throat. "Of course you wouldn't wait for us to talk!"

"Of course... you heroes spend too much time talking, after all!" Metal Face swung, and we slid apart. "Heh... ha ha ha..."

"Geez," I muttered. "You remind me of my Grade 10 Socials class, damn that was-" I frowned. _Wait a... I was in Grade 8, right? How the hell do I have memories of a Grade 10 Social Studies class?_ "Hah..."

"Well... you heroes can talk as much as you want when you're dead," smirked Mumkhar. "RARGH!"

"Dunban, let's do this!" I shouted. The Homs nodded at me and we met Mumkhar's charge, sword and gauntlets grating against claws with harsh screeches to follow. _He's still...!_ "Ugh!" I slid away as Dunban was forced to one side. "Hah..." _If he's this strong... how am I ever gonna win against anyone else?_

 _Can I?_

"Heh... gotcha!" Mumkhar's claws lunged at me, and I let a loud grunt escape as my instincts came in, enough to deflect his stab.

"You don't have me yet!" I shouted, willing the greaves to form as I raised my leg to block a kick. "Gh..." I recovered with a grunt, concentrating a shockwave around the right greave. "Falcon... KICK!"

Mumkhar struck, causing me to stagger before a swift swipe of his claws sent me sliding along the ground. "Heh..." He dodged Dunban's sword and leapt back, moving back as a faint aura surrounded his claws. "Well, well..."

I grunted, and used Aura Wave, though the foe dodged and ground his claws against Dunban's claws.

"DUNBAN!" roared the Mechon. "DON'T YOU TIRE... OF BEING SO DAMN PITIABLE?!" He sank his claws into Dunban's leg, ripping them out, the thick rich blood spraying on the ground. He then shoulder rushed him into me, slamming both of us into a wall.

"Ugh!" I gasped. "Guh..."

Dunban rose with a grunt, lending me a hand. "Hah... Mumkhar..." He pointed his sword forward. "It is you who is pitiable."

"Only a hero could say something so cliche," sneered Mumkhar.

"You're kinda a cliche villain, then," I muttered.

Mumkhar growled, deflecting a fireball with a hand twitch. "Red Coat..."

"Melia, stay back," spoke Dunban. "This..." He used Serene Heart with a breath. "This is between Mumkhar and I. You too, Andrew."

"Yeah, only if you want to die," I grunted. "Nah... that ain't happening."

Melia, despite the lack in her body, nodded. "Yes! Dunban, as my companion and ally, I-"

"Alright..." Dunban stared, long and hard, at the enemy in front of us all. "Sharla! Heal us, then-"

Mumkhar lunged, and I whipped out my sword as my instincts kicked in once again, an aura surrounding it. We clashed, pushing against each other.

"Heh... be that way, then!" Mumkhar leapt away, dodging the headshot Sharla had sent flying for his head. "It'll be so much more rewarding when I kill you."

"Heh... hah... right back at ya!" I managed, smiling. "C'mon..." I wiped sweat away from my forehead with a groan. "Let's do this!"

"Yes!" Dunban lunged beside me, and we lunged at Mumkhar, who just leapt out of the way.

"RARGH!" I used the Soul Trigger and slid forward with my momentum, slashing the foe with a swift swing.

"Hmph!" Mumkhar blocked, and our weapons met several times. "So, Red Coat, you-"

"RAGH!" Dunban slashed, with Mumkhar dodging the attack with a grunt. "SOARING TEMPEST!"

"Gah!" The Mechon staggered from the rapid stream of attacks. "Damn you, Dunban! You-"

"Stab Wave!" I shouted, taking a chunk of metal along my blade, which swiftly faded due to the shockwave's intensity. "Gh...!"

"RARGH!" With a yell, Mumkhar sent me back with a wide sweep of his claws. "DAMN YOU ALL!"

He lunged at Dunban, claws flashing by me, the Ether on them causing me to fall and revert. "I'M BETTER THEN YOU!" he roared. "YOU... WILL DIE!"

Dunban grunted, clashing several more times with his enemy. "DIE!" he shouted. "GALE SLASH!"

Mumkhar screamed as the slash rushed past his defences.

"WORLDLY SLASH!" The Homs kicked away Mumkhar afterwards, before dashing after him. "RAH!"

"Stop!" yelled out Shulk, and the Monado's beam enlarged, blocking the slash Dunban was about to use. "Hah... hah... ugh...!" He spat out blood, groaning as he stood up.

"Shulk..." Dunban looked back. "Stand back. I will finish this."

"No!" panted the blonde, straining to keep back the blade of the other Homs. "It's... it's Mumkhar, not a Mechon!" he spoke, moving forward, using the Monado's added length to get closer while keeping Dunban at bay.

"Have you already forgotten everything he's done?!" exclaimed Dunban, glaring at Shulk, still straining against him. "Where is your killer instinct...?! Now is the time!"

 _I dunno, probably in a Devastation Beam,_ I thought, staggering forward.

"I hate him too," answered Shulk. "For what he did to Fiora, what he did to the Emperor, and... OF COURSE I WANT MY REVENGE!" he howled. "But..."

He sighed, quiet. "Face Mechon aren't like the others."

"Yeah, like that stopped us from killing Xord," I grunted. "You forget that too, Shulk?"

"No, of course I haven't!" he replied. "But... gh... they're... they're people!" he shouted. "Like us!" He stared deep into Dunban's eyes. "Are you really willing to kill another Homs?!"

"Yes... I am," replied Dunban. "Sometimes... needs must!"

"Wait if... it's Fior-" Shulk stopped as Mumkhar's claws stabbed through his stomach. "Ugh..."

"I've had enough of your whining, Monado Boy." Mumkhar threw Shulk aside, and the Monado spun up into the air as a result. "The Monado is mine now, though!"

"No it's not!" shouted Dunban, his slash forcing Mumkhar to guard against him instead of catching the blade, which I leapt for and caught. "For you, Mumkhar... I promise you the embrace of death!"

Shulk gasped. "No... no!" He coughed up blood, and tried to speak as Sharla tended to him. "DON'T DO IT, DUNBAN!"

"RARGH!" With one last slash, Dunban's blade impaled the foe's heart.

If he had one, anyway.

"RAGH!" howled Mumkhar's, claws flashing with energy as he stabbed them through Dunban's own stomach.

The energy formed a ball which flew away, into a distant wall. I gasped, though the last Ether dosage was stronger then all the rest.

 _I can't move?!_ I realized, falling with a grunt, only able to watch as the unstable pillar fell. "No..."

Both Dunban and Mumkhar screamed as the pillar slammed into both of them, and the platform they were on collapsed due to the sudden increase in weight.

"NO!" screamed Shulk, and in my hands the Monado flashed that white colour again, though too late.

I sensed Dunban and Mumkhar falling, falling... then they were gone.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

 **RWBY fanfictions really love to put Jaune Arc in... interesting situations.**

 **And there's a lot shipping him with Neapolitan, which I really don't get.**

 **(Seriously, just put him with Pyrrha and gimme a fanfiction off that. Though those of you out there ship whoever you wish, I won't judge.** **)**

There was silence.

I had failed again.

 _Dunban's dead now?_ I thought, staring at where he was just... just a minute ago and-

I rolled on my back, glancing up at the sky.

it was so beautiful, clouds drifting by, some birds even present chirping with happiness as-

 _It's not fair._ I sensed my breathing change. _It wasn't supposed to be this way._

 _I... I let him die._

"Ugh." I groaned, a small sound as I tried to hold back the urge to scream my guts out. "Ugh..."

"Hah..." Shulk spat blood on the ground and ground his teeth together. "C'mon, guys..." A breath of air from him. "We have to find some cover, rest up, and..."

His chest shook, and I sensed him holding in both a cry and a scream, the effort near making him spasm.

"Yeah... let's go, guys." Sharla released more empty cartridges onto the ground, stumbling forward.

 _Nothing's changed. I'm still as weak as ever._ I stood up and glanced over to the large gap in the platform.

 _What the hell is it worth fighting if I can't even keep anyone I... care about safe?_

I closed my eyes and staggered over with the rest of them as we moved.

When we rounded the nearest corner, I slammed my fist into the wall, leaving a dent.

...

"So..." Shulk released a weary sigh. "Dunban's... dead."

Riki drooped, a sad expression on his face. "Riki sad Dundun die," he spoke. "Like Reyn."

Sharla looked away. She trembled as she took a breath.

"Yeah..." The blonde rubbed his temple. "Anyway... we should set up watch to watch for Mechon, if there's any patrolling."

"I'll go first," I mumbled, standing to get out of the small alcove the five of us were currently resting in.

"Andrew..." A tired sigh came from Melia, and I paused, looking back at her. She glanced away. "Never mind." At best, she was reluctant to say what was on her mind. At worst...

"Okay," I spoke, starting to move out again.

"Andrew, wait. I'll take watch with you," spoke Shulk, following me out.

I groaned, knowing what he was going to ask of me. The somber nature of those questions were fitting, considering the dark night sky.

"So... what?" I spoke, drawing my sword, clenching my left fist. _It feels weak... oh yeah, 'cause of the Monado._

"So you killed Reyn," he spoke. "Tell me... how was he? What... was he like?"

 _Something isn't right here,_ I noted. _This feel..._ "He was under Egil's control and was gonna kill me." I looked away from him, towards the darkness that seemed close and yet far somehow. "So I killed him instead."

A heavy groan slid out of Shulk, and he rubbed his eyes. "Was that something you could've predicted? Something you knew?"

"Nah... I wish," I spoke. "Look, there's shit even I have no idea about, okay?" I let out a breath. _Keep calm... probably agitated 'cause Dunban just got rekt and stuff. Lashing out won't..._ "Kinda weird if I knew since it involved me, right?"

 _Huh... that actually seems logical. Too bad I make for such a sucky attorney in comparison. I mean, really... Spirit of Justice's Insights can be so damn vague and difficult to figure out! How do you even?!_

"Yeah... well... did you know about Dunban?" spoke Shulk, eyes desperate as he looked at me. "Was... was that... supposed to happen?!"

I sighed, looking away. _Can't lie... I'd just be running from the truth._ "Nah," I spoke. "He... wasn't supposed to die here."

 _I kinda got up and over so Shulk was sorta distracted with me, then Mumkhar stabbed him... that's when it all changed and Dunban died._

 _It was my fault,_ I thought, rubbing my eyes. "Ugh..." _Because of course it was._

 _I'm useless, I can't do shit about anything at those times when it really matters._

"I really should've..." muttered Shulk. "Ugh... should've stopped Mumkhar, he... I coulda saved him and I..." He growled and looked away, a fist clenching.

 _He's berating himself too._ I rubbed my eyes again. _And if I weren't here, he would've too._

 _Ugh, what am I... dwelling on what happened isn't gonna change a thing._ I cracked my knuckles, yawning. _I have to keep facing forward..._

 _For those I really care about, too._

"If you're tired..." Shulk yawned, a sigh sneaking out as he did so. "Ugh... then you should go rest with the others."

I sensed it. What Shulk really wanted was for me to get away from him.

At least, I thought so. If I were wrong, then...

Then what? I almost laughed, though managed to keep it as a weird hiccup instead. It doesn't matter.

This is a video game after all. Nothing that happened here mattered or was real.

Hell, I could just kill them all and still-

 _No!_ I mentally slapped myself and shook my head, taking in a good lungful of air. _That's where I go wrong._

"Alright, thanks." I moved back to where the other three were sleeping.

Riki was leaning against Sharla, who slept leaning against the wall. Melia was on the opposite wall, though occasionally made slight noises the other two didn't, as well slight mumbles.

They felt real enough. I sensed their body heat, their quiet breathings, saw the tiny shifts in movement here and there.

 _But were they?_ I thought. _Are these guys actually real... my friends..._

 _Or are they still just video game characters in the end?_

"Ugh?" I staggered, feeling something cut me. A thin streak of blood emerged as a result, maybe half a millimetre deep. "Wha..." I stared at the small cut on my forearm, frowning.

"Hm?" Shulk looked at me. "You say something?"

"Nah, should be... nothing..." I walked out and sensed another slash, akin to the previous on. I reached out with my hand and felt it cut my hand, the cut deeper this time. "Huh..."

"Hey, that's... Light Heal." Shulk frowned. "How'd you get hurt like that? Is there Mechon around?" The beam of the Monado emerged.

"No, I don't think so," I replied. "But... something else is..."

"It was me... DIO!" declared a voice, from some nearby shadows. "Okay, no, not really. But you are coming with me, Andrew."

"You..." _This feeling... he's an Outsider. I can sense his power and..._ "Okay."

"Well, sweet! That was easy! Follow me!" The male dived off the side, towards the vast ocean below.

"Wait a... Andrew, don't do it!" gasped Shulk. "I just... he's going to kill you!"

"A vision?" I spoke, tilting my head. _Must be a really tough guy if he's gonna kill me..._

"Don't get how, though," replied the blonde. "All he did was sheathe his sword and... you got cut in two."

"Huh... kinda sounds like..." _YAMATO!_ I froze. _Gods..._

 _That would be so cool! Forget shotgun gauntlets for a second, I want that! I could be all like, "VROO" and then just "WA-CHA" and some many cool things, and cut dimensions and stuff! Actually, if this guy has a sword like that, it's probably not as good as that,_ I thought. _That would just be too convenient..._ b _ut anyways... this guy's going down no matter how bloody and hurt I might be at the end!_

"Alright, Shulk! See ya!" I spoke, preparing to leap off into the ocean below like the Outsider previously.

"Wait, what?! You're still doing it?!" spoke Shulk, staring at me. "Even though he'll kill you?!"

"I'll be fine. Besides, then I can take his sword," I spoke back. "I got powers and stuff. Though, if I do die..." I breathed out. "Do tell Kallian..." _Wait he dies._ "Uh..." _Um... better try and act like I don't know that!_ "That I'm sorry I didn't help through with... uh... Melia... to the end."

"Alright... wait, you're still-!" Shulk reached out towards me.

"Bye, Shulk! I know you'll get Fiora back!" I called whilst already descending. "I BELIEVE IN YOU! BELIEVE IT!"

"ANDREW, YOU-!"

I breathed out, not hearing the rest of what Shulk was going to say as I descended, groaning as I hit the water. "UGH!" I got my head above water and moved to the shore. "Ugh, this'll take forever..." I grunted, using my Soul form for a brief time and gliding over, reverting afterwards. "Hi."

"Hello!" The male rose from where he sat, katana's sheath in his right hand with the blade itself in his left. "I'mma try and kill ya, okay?!"

 _He's left-handed..._ I drew my sword and smiled. "Bring it! That sword's pretty cool, so I'll take it after you go down!"

"Okay... just call me... hell, it don't matter. Virgil, sure," spoke the Outsider.

"Wait a... do you know DMC?" I spoke.

"Hm...? Yeah. Pretty good game series," spoke Virgil. "Why when I got training, I decided to go the way I did. They said it couldn't be done, and it was dumb... ha! I showed them!" he grinned. "Yeah... wasn't easy, but it got this super cool fighting style too, so..."

 _I don't think he's talking to me anymore_. "Huh... well, let's do this!" I grunted, sensing the slash rushing outwards. I leaned to one side and dodged the projected strike, before Virgil was right up in my face. "WHOA?!"

He slashed, and our blades met several times. "Yo... not bad!" Virgil was gone as a projected slash from behind grazed me. "But I'm still gonna beat your ass!"

"Ugh...?" I staggered, though leapt from another slash. _The way it works... he can kinda set traps by projecting slashes outwards, though only sometimes... maybe he uses his will to control it, like my gauntlets?_ "Ugh!" I rolled away to avoid another slash. _And when he sheathes the katana, those slashes suddenly materialize for a sudden strike... though he can adjust their range as well, it looks like..._

"Acumen Slash!" declared the opposite swordsman's voice, and roughly two dozen white slashes surrounded me.

I was trapped.

"Aw, shit..!" I groaned, sensing the weakest point of the slashes. As he fully sheathed the katana I moved to that point and assumed my Soul form, managing to get out with little injury.

So I thought anyway. Truth was the sensation was akin to a car slamming into my midsection. Eh, at the very least, I imagine, considering that I haven't yet been struck by a car going that fast-

"RARGH!" Virgil let out a yell, using the actual blade itself to cut me away. "Geez... pay attention!"

"Ugh... apologies." I arose again with a grunt, settling into a ready stance. "And you may be strong... but I'm not gonna lose!"

"Alright, then. No more games, yeah? I ain't got time to waste." Virgil put his hand outwards and smirked, form shifting with a flash of light. "AND NEITHER DO YOU, RIGHT?!"

 _That form..._ It looked eerily similar to the Devil Trigger of Vergil when Sephiroth had...

 _Wait a, Death Battle?_ I frowned. _Was a Death Battle like that even a thing?_

"HAH!" screamed the Outsider, slashing randomly, generating bright white strikes where he projected his slashes, up to roughly fifteen metres away from him.

I hissed, ignoring the lingering question about Death Battle and rushing closer, using my sword to cut apart the projected slash in front of me. "RAH!" I unleashed a shockwave, and he sheathed his blade. I grunted as my wings were struck somehow, and fell. I landed and rolled away instantly, managing to get away from further injury as the slashes triggered.

 _His Soul Trigger... it's like mine! He won't flinch and those slashes are more lethal now, plus his speed's up!_

With the blade itself, Virgil cut the shockwave apart. "HAH!" He was gone again, and for a moment there was nothing.

I gasped, sensing an overwhelming presence behind me. _He can..._ I used Defensive Reversal to stop him as he struck, and we crossed blades a few times, the sharp noises clashing against the quiet of the beach. I leapt away, and the projected slash he used glanced off me. "STAB WAVE!" _To move that fast with me not noticing a thing... it has to be teleportation!_

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" A ring of pale blue, flickering small swords surrounded Virgil as I rushed at him. "READY FOR IT?!"

"Those look like... Vergil's Summoned Swords?!" I used my momentum to leap at a diagonal angle, managing to get off with less injury then he intended. The aura faded from my sword as the Art expired."Damn!" _Those really hurt!_ "Ugh...!" _And they make it so close combat is impossible!_

"Yeah... they all said to focus on the katana or the Summoned Swords... but I showed them all and did both!" Virgil rushed over via teleportation, his Swords rushing out to strike me several times as I'm forced to clash blades with him.

"RARGH!" I screamed, using the Soul Demon to handle the excess of Summoned Swords, though doing so was... distracting.

 _Using the Demon to slash away the Swords and me fighting him... this is tough!_ "Ugh!" I gasped as Virgil zoomed past me a few times. I activated Time Slow and managed to reach out and cut him with a Whip Slash. "GOTCHA!" I used my left hand and grabbed him, before a swift Cross Slash technique cut him backwards. "There...!" _His physical abilities... up close I'm better then he is!_

Virgil grunted, getting back on his feet. "HAH!" He also slowed time, sheathing the katana. I gasped, rushing forward to get off with more bad injuries to my back, as well as cracking the Soul Demon in a few places. "RRGH... SCUM!" He charged at me. "RAH!"

I tossed my sword on my back and my gauntlets formed. "AURA STRIKE!" I met his slash and forced him away into a tree, which fell over as he slammed into it. "JACKPOT!" _No more Swords... he finally ran out!_ "RARGH!" I drew my sword again and rushed forward. _Stab Strike's cooldown... there!_ "I'M THE ONE TAKING YOU DOWN!" An aura surrounded my blade as I dashed forward, before settling into a low glide.

"Ugh...!" Virgil groaned, getting back up. "RRGH... RARGH!" Teleporting, he managed to strike me a few times, and a few hundred white slashes manifested, engulfing both myself and the next 30 metres around me. "Hah... hah... IT'S OVER!" He started to sheathe the katana, his heartbeat fast and increasing still.

"RRGH...!" I clenched my fist, screaming as the slashes all cut me. "Ugh..." I fell to one knee, my Soul Trigger flickering. Some of the slashes had gotten dangerously close to my vitals, with a few grazing my lungs. "Gh..." _No... not yet..._ "I... hah..." I spat out blood, wiping my mouth afterwards.

Virgil reverted to normal, turning his back. "Hah... hah... it's finally over... just took the Acumen Slash Finale," he groaned, breathing heavily. "Woo... that was pretty good fun, though."

 _Does he... not sense?_ "Hah... ugh..." I growled, a low sound he doesn't hear, managing to rise back to both feet. _Can he?_ "RARGH!" I leapt forward. "SOUL STAB WAVE!"

"GUH?!" Virgil recoiled as the Soul Demon stabbed him. "You... survived...?!"

"Yeah..." I allowed the Soul Demon to fade and lunged. "And I'm taking you down!" I slashed him before concentrating another aura around my blade. "AURA SLASH!" I struck, and he fell over, as I had cut apart both lungs and his liver, in two messy halves. "Hah...!"

"RRGH...!" Virgil gasped. "RAH!" His form shifted again, yet to a lighter shade of blue. "Okay, you're pretty good..." He arose again, staggering as I sensed his wounds start to fade away. "But... can you keep up with this?"

"Your wounds...!" _They're... no, I can still sense faint traces of them on his body... it's like..._ "They were removed like a band-aid..."

"Pretty accurate, actually." Virgil flashed a grim smile. "The Soul Trigger of optimism. And do you know what that means?"

"I gotta kill you before the rest of your wounds heal." I swallowed, wincing as I reverted to normal. "Ugh..."

"Well, sure... but what's more important... I can stop time too."

A blinding shape and dozens of projected slashes seemed to rip me apart.

"Ugh..." I fell over, the coarse dry sand getting all over my body.

I was alive?

"It's... not over yet...!" growled the adversary, drawing the katana again. "I'll be the one to end you!"

I forced the gauntlets to form, shoving my hands off the ground enough so I was forced to get on all fours. "Yeah...?" I stood, grunting. "I got a lot to do... I can't afford to die here. My friends don't deserve that."

"So you're willing to keep trying 'cause your friends would be devastated if ya died, yeah?" Virgil reverted, all his wounds gone now. "Heh... you haven't really lost a fight yet, have you."

"Wha... Zulf..." I spat out blood, wiping off blood that had spattered on my gauntlets.

"Zulf...? Oh, that guy. Well, that was hardly a fight. Your ideals sure as hell weren't as strong as now," grinned Virgil. "Nah... when I say lose, I mean to feel so desperately that you're right... and yet you fail all the same."

 _Somehow that sounds familiar._ "Uh... okay...?"

"And... dread it or run from it... destiny still arrives." Virgil stabbed me. "Jackpot... RARGH!"

"UGH!" I gasped as he ripped the sword out my side, Summoned Swords materializing to pin me down. "Shit...!"

"This is the end for you... and y'know... I gotta say... this does put a smile on my face." Virgil lunged, his katana seeming to shine in the moonlight as he slashed forward.

 _He still can't sense._ The words came to me, simply as fact. _And he's hurt me enough..._

I activated Time Slow, and pulled the Swords out of me. "Man... this is gonna... hah... get rough." _Especially with my lungs damaged like they are..._ Sighing, I stabbed through my torso with a shout of pain, tearing my blade out and using the Soul Trigger again as time reverted.

"Hm!" Virgil morphed into the darker Soul Trigger as we clashed a few times. "Heh..." He shoved me away, and I saw his right side the dark shade of blue as I recovered. The left side was a lighter shade. "Let's do this!"

"Both at the same time..." Taking in an unnecessary breath, I willed the Soul Demon to materialize. "RAH!" I willed the Demon to slash, though its blade shattered at a projected slash. "Gh..." I felt my sword chip slightly. _The Soul Demon... more then anything else, it..._

 _It feels like a... manifestation of myself._

"You really should stop talking aloud." Virgil slashed me away. "That's because, and I think you know this... the Soul Triggers us Outsiders assume are the manifestation of our deepest wills, letting us wield the most secret of ourselves as forms."

"Forms..." I arose, letting the Soul Demon fade with a sigh. _That didn't work._ "So they differ?"

"Heh... very slightly. At the core each Soul Trigger has a base state." Virgil smirked. "That dark form you wielded fighting against Zulf... that was the deepest, most powerful will you had then. It made itself known due to your excessive desire to survive." He paused. "Actually, that's wrong. Though I will sound cliche, what caused that dark Soul Trigger to rush from inside was you admitting, even to just yourself, that what you really wanted was just to save your friends again." He chuckled. "Not to live at all, but to see your old friends you left behind... well, that this you left behind, anyway."

"Wait a... what the hell do you mean, saying something like that?" I spoke. "You make it sound like... there's another..." _Me..._

"When it really comes down to it... that's the truth." Virgil slowed time. "But enough talk. What we're doing right now would make for a pretty poor show."

"Wha... huh?" I dodged the projected cut. "Rrgh... I'm still gonna...!" I swiped to meet his slash, and we sprang apart. "WIN!" _And I'll get you to explain what you're talking about._

 _Believe that!_

"HAH!" Virgil leapt at me, and with a flash there were massive gauntlets and greaves on his person. His foot was rushing forward for a jump kick and-

I willed a greave to form as I withdrew my sword and struck, my roundhouse kick forcing him away. "Huh... you got gauntlets too?" I stared at him, hard. "All you need now is a normal sword and... well, a kinda normal sword anyway, and-"

"SURPRISE, BITCH!" He was behind me, swinging a blade that wasn't his katana. My instincts screamed as I rolled away from him. "Heh... funny you mention that." He assumed another stance, sword in both hands.

"Of course... a blade akin to the Force Edge," I spoke, holding my left hand to my wounds. "Really inspired you, huh?"

"Yeah..." A hand settled on the katana as he drew it.

Our blades crossed, and met a few times.

Breathing out, I used a quick Whip Slash to repel Virgil. "Hah..." As I started to move forward, a jab of agony struck my body, causing me to falter. "Ugh..."

He cut me, the strike knocking me away.

I let a harsh gasp out, reverting once again. _It's over. I can't win._ "Ugh..." I fell on my back.

"Giving up?" Virgil smiled, reverting to normal himself. "Well..." He walked over, drawing his sword again. "I'll be glad to end you, Outsider."

 _Outsider... those who don't belong._

 _Y'know, there are some messed up RWBY fanfictions out there._

"Wha..." I mumbled. "Where did that..." _That thought come from..._

"Hm?" Virgil paused. "Ya say somethin'?

 _The heck did RWBY come from? Pretty sure only two seasons were out before I was here, and then I hadn't searched for fanfiction yet, so..._

"I bet you've figured it out." Virgil pointed his sword down at me. "These Outsider selves are separate from us in the real world.

"What I'm about to kill is the extension of you that wanted to be a cool swordsman guy that did stuff."

"So that's why... those thoughts..." I groaned. Moving was difficult. Too difficult. I strained regardless. Would never toughen up if I never even tried.

"Yeah... the you on Earth right now is enjoying a pretty good life," spoke Virgil. "Got a job, in fact. Can't wait to get paid."

"Wait... how do you know that?" I spoke, staring at the long steel a couple inches away.

"It's complicated, and almost as unnecessary as Sonic 06's plot," spoke the Outsider. "But whatever...

"When I kill the you that's here, bloody and almost dead already... the you in the real world is really gonna feel that, I bet."

His blade entered my chest.

I screamed.

Then he was gone, body forced away by something.

"There you are," spoke a voice. "Two Outsiders... you will make good Faced Mechon."

"You... Egil!" spat Virgil, releasing a projected slash. "GUH?!"

A hammer from a Mechon behind him crushed his arm, and he fell to one knee. A blow to the head and he was unconscious.

"And now..." Egil looked at me. "For you."

The hammer moved at my face, causing me to see dark for a while.


End file.
